


The Baker's Daughter

by LeftNotRight



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Multi, SI-OC, Swearing, Use of music that is NOT mine, Violence, also on ff.net, cross dressing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 00:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 131,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11566674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeftNotRight/pseuds/LeftNotRight
Summary: Hm, how to do this? How do I explain the absolute bull-honkey that is my life at the moment? I had no real plan to begin with, I admit, but I assure you that I DID NOT MEAN TO FUCK IT UP THIS BAD! I'm just the local baker's daughter!...If you ignore the reincarnation part... SI/OC





	1. Chapter 1

**|The Baker’s Daughter|**

* * *

 

**Word Count: 3,760**

* * *

 

How should I start this? Once upon a time? No, this isn’t a fairy tale. It was a dark, stormy night? Nah, it was actually pretty sunny that day. It is a fact, universally acknowledged that a single man in possess- let’s just stop that there.

You know what? Fuck it! Roll tape!

* * *

 

Three hours ago, I died. 

I had been in an apartment building that had been half-assed and rushed, resulting in it to almost sway in the wind and its walls to give out I they were so much as knocked on. I had been on the sixth floor, pointing out every flaw and falsity to the nervous real-estate agent, when the building shook and gave a loud groan, before  _ CRACK.  _ The roof gave out, dropping ten floors worth of building material on us.

An ambulance was called, they were slow. 

The last thing I heard was they were able to stabilise the agent, and I slipped away as the engine started.

* * *

 

So yeah, I died. Sad, sad, sob, sob. Who cares? The part I was most concerned about was when  _ I woke up. _

* * *

 

My throat stung as I screamed, the cold hitting me like a brick wall as I was pulled and pushed from my haven. 

I was passed from hands to hands, washed and wrapped, screaming all the way through. I was laid down beside a body of warmth, causing the freezing pain to ease. I snuggled closer to the warmth, seeking to hide from the world of noise around me. 

I let out a quiet squeal as the warmth vibrated, a gentle voice flowing over me, settling me in a way I was surprised by. It was motherly, comforting, calming.

The woman’s voice cooed quietly, cooling the burning chaos that was my mind.

I was awake. I had died, and I was awake. 

Was I saved?

I thought about of the possibility, before writing it off. No, I had defiantly died. I didn’t know how, but I knew for  _ sure _ that I had died. 

Why? Why was I back? What was the point? What was the need?

I didn’t know. I  _ still _ don’t know. But, I did know one thing. I was not going to let this chance slip past me.

_ ‘If there is a reason that I’m still alive when so many have died, than I’m willing to wait for it.’ _

**...**

I groaned as I sat up, half awake and not okay about the situation, at all. 

Six years old, hungry and cranky, I slid out of bed and shuffled down the hall. I huffed as the scent of freshly baked bread flooded my senses, as it always did every morning.

During the six years of my new life, I had come to understand my situation. I had been reborn. 

Wait, that sounds sinister. Like some kind of villain/demon king making a big speech about taking over the world.

I’d been  _ reincarnated _ .

Yeah, that sounds better.

In my new life, I go by the name of Daiki Yamaguchi. Or Yamaguchi Daiki, as per the traditional way to say it in Japan.

I looked different from my past life, expected, considering genotypes and all. I was tanned, more so than my past life, had black hair, cut short and never obeying the  _ fucking laws of physics  _ and dark brown eyes. Nothing special, nothing stand out. I was pretty average in everything, apparently I was going to shoot up like a weed though.

“Daiki-kun!” 

Ah yes, the Kun. Always the Kun.

“Coming, kaa-san!” I called back, speeding up my shuffle by a millisecond.

I muttered to myself as I dropped from step to step, jumping off the last two and landing on the carpet a stride’s length away in true children’s fashion.

“Kaa-san, what’s for breakfast?! I’m hungry!” I chirped as I ran through the small living space and down the next set of steps into the shop below the apartment.

We had to live above our work, it was necessary due to the early working hours. 4am, was around the time kaa-san would wake up to start baking.

Yes, I was a baker’s daughter. Not all prestigious, I know, but I get fresh biscuits and bread on hand at all times!

“I’m not surprised, you woke up late! It’s already eleven o’clock, your friend is waiting for you outside! Hurry, and take these cookies with you.”

I looked up at her, noticing the grainy texture of her left cheek. Make up. She’s covering it up, still.

“Ah, really! That late!?” I yelped, turning tale and running out the door, bag of fresh co- _ biscuits  _ in hand.

Australian. Not American.  _ Australian. _

Aside from finding that I was in reincarnated, renamed and relocated, I also found out another much more  _ interesting _ fact.

I lived in Japan, yes, but the town, specifically, I lived in, you wouldn’t find on your map. Considering the fact that it doesn’t exist, well, at least not meant to exist.

Namimori, a sleepy town with average weather and average people. 

Not for long, I thought with a quiet laugh.

Yes, Namimori of the lovely Katekyo Hitman Reborn series. Home of the Sawada lineage for ten generations, and more importantly, the home for Vongola X and Co.

Now, I bet you’re thinking: ‘Cool! Now go find Tsuna, get all buddy-buddy, become a BAMF, get a harem while you’re at it too!’

How ‘bout no?

I’m not letting this chance at a new life go to waste. That means  _ no early death. _

I’m going to live a  _ long _ , life. A long,  _ peaceful, Mafia-less _ life.

Or as Mafia-less as you can get in Namimori, in the days to come.

Though, I do say that, I have to admit that I have thought about it. Deciding to leave it up to fate, if I meet Tsunayoshi, so be it.

However…

I didn’t meet the boy- well, the one I was prepared to meet anyway. And now I’m…

“Daiki-kun! These cookies are EXTREME!” 

I’m stuck with this idiot.

Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Sasagawa Ryohei, otherwise known as Turf-top.

“Sasagawa-san, we’re meant to share those.” I muttered blandly, looking down at my now empty hand with a just as bland expression.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! Your mum’s a great baker!” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he crumpled the empty bag.

“It’s fine.” I sighed, submitting to the fact I had lost my breakfast to the boxer-to be.

“You ready to go to the park?! Let’s race to the EXTREME!” He suddenly roared, fire in his eyes as he pumped himself up in a split second.

He grabbed my wrist and took off, my body flying after him like a half-assed flag. I watched the world whiz past with half-lidded eyes as my heel dragged across the ground, a sigh escaping my lips. 

“C’mon Daiki-kun! Or are you too slow to keep up with me?!”

My gaze snapped to him, a spark of annoyance igniting within me.

“Is that a challenge?” I asked, finding my feet quickly.

“EXTREME!”

I rolled my eyes before a flicker of a smile flashed across my face, taking off and keeping up with the boy. 

“Keep up now, Sasagawa-san.” I mocked before upping the speed, forcing my little legs to run faster and faster as I saw the fire burn brighter.

We panted as we saw the park come into view, moving faster as to not be beaten. I narrowed my eyes before doing a last sprint and vaulting the last meter, touching down just before Ryohei did.

“I…win.” I panted, hands on my knees and bent over.

The families around us gave us a glance before returning to their children, used to Ryohei’s sudden appearances.

Ryohei grinned, in a better state than me, but not by much. He stood straight and trotted over to the surprisingly vacant swings, clambering up with his six year old height. 

I shuffled after him, watching him kick his legs uncoordinatedly, attempting to gain momentum. I rolled my eyes and tottered behind him, grabbed the chains of the swing and took a few steps back before pushing the Sun Guardian.

My lip twitched as he let out a happy laugh, leaning forwards to help the swing along. I continued to push him when he came back, watching as his arcs started to get wider.

“Hey, Daiki-kun?” 

I looked up and gave a grunt, showing that I was listening.

He looked over his shoulder for a moment before facing back to the front, his hand clutching the chains harder slightly.

“I…I heard about what your dad did…”

I paused for a moment, moving to push him again, suddenly aware of the people’s eyes.

“And? Was I wrong, to do what I did?” I asked, wondering what a child thought about such an annoyingly complicated situation.

“No…No. If my dad did that to kaa-san, I’d protect her too! Men shouldn’t do that to women!”

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he’d do if he found out I was a girl after all those times he’s punched and dog-piled me.

_ “Did you hear?” _

_ “About the Yamaguchi’s?” _

_ “No, what happened? They’re the baker family, right?” _

_ “Yeah, apparently Yamada-san’s been beating poor Kaede-san for years, he went too far last week and knocked her into a shelf!” _

_ “No, really? He was such a nice man, too.” _

_ “That’s not all, apparently their son, Daiki-san, walked in on his father beating her!” _

_ “Oh, the poor boy!” _

_ “Ha! Poor father more like! Daiki-san blew  _ up _! He managed to kick Yamada-san  _ out _ of the  _ house _! He might be young, but  _ hell _ can he punch! Broke the man’s nose!” _

_ “Daiki-san? No, he’s too quiet for that.” _

_ “You know what they say, ‘it’s always the quiet ones.’” _

I blocked out the tittering group of women, already knowing the story. I gave Ryohei another push, drawing another loud  _ ‘EXTREEEEEEMEEEEEE!’ _

_ “Where is he now? Yamada-san?” _

_ “Don’t know. Disappeared into the night, tail between his legs.” _

_ “Serves the bastard right, striking such a nice woman like Kaede-san.” _

_ “But what about Daiki-san? Punching someone like that, hard enough to break their nose! I hope he doesn’t turn out as a delinquent.” _

_ “I don’t think so.” _

_ “You never know, with a father like that. Like father, like son. He might turn out just as bad.” _

I pushed once more before turning and walking up to the trio of women, my face still blank. I stood at to the side of their group, not being noticed yet.

“Could you please tone it down in volume? You’re being incredibly loud.”

The mothers all jumped, spinning around and paling when they saw who had addressed them.

“A-ah, Daiki-san! How is your mother?”

I looked to the woman who had asked, agitation roaring in the back of my head, barely restrained by common sense.

“She’s doing fine, miss. Would do better without her domestic problems being used as entertainment.” I stated, looking pointed at them, my eyes accusing.

“That’s quite the vocabulary you have there, dear…”

I walked away before they could muster up conversation, restraining my temper as best I could. I was a patient person, incredibly so, but recently I have not been in the best of spirits.

“Sasagawa-san, do you want to go play on the equipment?” I asked, pointing to the multicoloured playground.

“Sure!” He grinned, but he knew that I knew that he had heard.

He vaulted off the swing and grabbed my hand, dragging me from the collection of nosey adults. I looked over my shoulder and looked at them with the same eyes I had looked at my father with, I knew their intentions and I wouldn’t let them do it.

I wouldn’t let them touch my mother.

**...**

I stood in front of the mirror with a tight smile, letting my mother undress and redress me like a doll. I watched her look pointedly at my flat chest, a flash of pride going through her eyes.

Yamaguchi Kaede was a pretty woman, no one could deny. She wasn’t  _ beautiful _ , but she wasn’t anything to sneeze at either. She had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, black voids as eyes and pale skin. Her body was supple and lithe, long legs and small waist. 

She reached into my drawer and pulled out a pair of briefs and pulled it up my legs, covering the one thing she couldn’t deal with about her son.

I looked off to the side, scanning my room in boredom. 

My mother, Kaede, while she was nice on the outside, she was a bit of a mess on the inside.

She herself, had admitted that she couldn’t function without a man in her life, and with the sudden removal of her husband, she moved to her daughter who, under the demands of her disappointed father, had taken the guise of a son.

She became obsessed with turning me into the perfect son, and I let her. She was already at her wits end, whatever kept her grounded and functioning, even if it was crossdressing, I would do it. For my mother, I’d lie.

I was taught masculine Japanese, she would laugh and give me a light smack if I used feminine, I was given boys clothes and shounen manga.

It wasn’t hard, fun, to an extent, actually.

The only I problem foresaw was the education system, and their take on the situation.

Oh well, we’ll deal with that hurdle when we reach it.

“Oh Daiki-kun, you’re going to be so handsome when you grow up. Just like your father, tall and handsome.”

I gave her a smile, wondering if what I was doing was the right thing.

She wrapped my in her arms, burying her face in my hair.

“My little boy. My son. Boy. Only boy.”

I really wonder.

**...**

“Oomph! Damn, that was a heavy one.” I muttered as I dropped another 50kg bag of flour, sneezing as the powder got up my nose.

“Kaa-san! I’m done with the flour! Anything else!?” I called from the store room, patting my hands off on the back of my pants.

“No, you can go shower now! Thank you, my strong little man!”

I took off my apron and hung it up and I ran up the stairs to the living space, glancing at the clock as I did.

I had been two years since my father’s disappearance, and things have been moving smoothly. People have mostly forgotten the scene of a little boy throwing out his father in the middle of rush hour, last minute shopping and have started to treat us the same as before.

“Ah! I only have fifteen minutes! Kaa-san!” I yelled, yanking my work clothes off and turning on the cold water.

Almost as soon as I had been completely covered in water, I got out, toothbrush hanging from my mouth. Drying myself off quickly, I pulled on my Namimori Elementary boy’s uniform, stumbling down the stairs.

I sat on the bottom step, pulling on my little socks as I called for my lunc-bento box, sorry. 

I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the green, frog shaped bento box, stuffing it into my bag as I thanked mother. 

“I’m off! Bye kaa-san!” I called as I ran out the door, shoes on my feet and bag on back.

I ran out of the bakery, waving to the butcher and his wife across the street as I did. I ran out of the shopping district and entered the residential, passing uniform houses as I did.

“EXTREEEEMEEEEE!”

“Quickly Sasagawa-kun! Speed is key!” I yelled over my shoulder as I glanced at my watch. 

The Sun Guardian caught up with me as we turned the corner, the gates of the elementary school coming into view.

“5! 4! 3! 2!” The teacher called to us, standing at the gate with a smile, used to our antics. 

I dropped to the floor and slid through the gate as she closed it, ending the countdown.

“Safe!” I yelled, slumping.

“Aw man! This is so UNEXTREME!” 

I turned and let out a laugh, looking at Ryohei through the bars as he pouted, glaring up at the teacher.

“C’mon sensei, let him in, please?” I asked, tugging her sleeve.

She sighed before opening the gate a fraction, letting him shuffle in sideways, looking down at him with a laugh.

“You owe me, Sasagawa-kun.” I teased as we traded our outdoor shoes for indoor ones.

“How ‘bout you call me Ryohei-kun then!?” He yelled/asked in a way only Ryohei could.

I blinked before uttering, “Really?”

“TO THE EXTREME!”

I rubbed my ear as it rung slightly, looking at the pale-haired boy with one open eye.

“Okay then, Ryohei-kun, but tone it down a bit?” I mumbled, pushing his face away from me.

“You two!”

We jumped and turned sharply, to see the principle glaring at us from down the hall.

“Class has started already! Get going!”

“Yes, sensei!” We yelped, taking off.

That principle never did like us, no matter how good my results were.

**...**

“Yamaguchi-san, another A, well done.” 

I looked up from my book, to the teacher, and thanked her as I took the math test back, scanning it over. I finally nodded to myself, happy with my 100% on the pop quiz. I was a legal adult in mind, I would have been disappointed in myself if I had got any less.

We were enjoying free time, the teacher using this time to hand out our pop quizzes. The sound of children playing with Lego and blocks, barely distracting me from my thick biology book.

“EEEEEXTREEEEMEEEEEE!”

The class jumped at the sudden scream, snapping to look at the sleeping Ryohei next to me. I rolled my eyes, and gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs.

He gave a squeal and sat up, glaring at me with annoyance. He pouted as he rubbed his side, asking me why I had attacked him in such an ‘unextreme’ way.

“You were sleep extreme-ing. Again.” I stated, taking off my reading glasses.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, knowing they shouldn’t be like at this age, I had read too much. Ryohei looked at me, head in his arms, a lazy grin on his face.

“Of course, I’m just so EXTREME! Even in my sleep!”

“Sasagawa-san, please stop shouting.”

I snorted as he shrunk under the teacher’s stare, flushing slightly.

“Don’t laugh at me, Daiki-kun!” He whined, pouting for the fifth time that day.

“Hmm.” I hummed, putting my glasses back on and going back to revising the process of mitosis.

_RIIIING!_

I closed my book and shoved it into my bag, grabbing my bento box before walking out of the classroom, Ryohei following close behind.

He went to the canteen, grabbed a milk carton and we walked to the playground. I stayed off to the side, sitting under the shade of a tree as Ryohei went and greeted some of his other friends.

I ate my bento box, holding my chopsticks correctly, compared to how I did back in my other life. I blinked as Ryohei thumped down next to me, making me raise an eyebrow as he leant against me, looking prepared to sleep.

“Ryohei-kun, when did you last sleep - properly?” I asked, noticing the furrow in his brow.

“Um…”

I sighed and shoved a sausage into my mouth before closing the lid, putting it off to the side. I shifted and let him fall into my lap, covering his little body with my jacket.

“Sleep now, then. So you are capable of concentrating in class.” I said, leaning against the tree.

“Noooooo, I wanna plaaaay!”

I grabbed him as he tried to slink away, and slammed him back into my lap, his body giving little resistance.

“Ryohei-kun, our bodies need rest to grow and recover. Sleep. Now.”

He grunted, crossing his arms as he did, before a grin split his face.

“Fine, but you have to do  _ that. _ ”

I straightened and frowned, not at all happy about his request.

“No Ryohei-kun, that was once, and we were at my house, not in public.”

“Then I’ll go and play, TO THE EXTREME!”

“Fine! Fine, I’ll do…that.” I grumbled, huffing as he dropped back down.

I mumbled to myself, gently prodding his head.

“Well Daiki-kun, I’m EXTREMELY ready.”

I sighed, deciding to just get it over with and do it. I moved and began trailing my nails through his hair, the way my first mother did, and began quietly singing in English. He couldn’t understand it, but seemed to enjoy it anyway.

_ “Dear Theodosia, what to say to you? _

_ You have my eyes. You have your mother’s name _

_ When you came into the world, you cried and it broke my heart _

_ I’m dedicating every day to you _

_ Domestic life was never quite my style _

_ When you smile, you knock me out, I fall apart _

_ And I thought I was so smart. _

_ You will come of age with our young nation _

_ We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you _

_ If we lay a strong enough foundation _

_ We’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you _

_ And you’ll blow us all away… _

_ Someday, someday _

_ Yeah, you’ll blow us all away _

_ Someday, someday.” _

I paused when a teacher went past, she didn’t seem to notice and kept walking. Ryohei gave an annoyed grunt, shifting slightly.

_ “Oh Philip, when you smile I am undone _

_ My son _

_ Look at my son. Pride is not the word I’m looking for _

_ There is so much more inside me now _

_ Oh Philip, you outshine the morning sun _

_ My son _

_ When you smile, I fall apart _

_ And I thought I was so smart _

_ My father wasn’t around _

_ My father wasn’t around _

_ I swear that _

_ I’ll be around for you. _

_ I’ll be around for you. _

_ I’ll do whatever it takes _

_ I’ll make a million mistakes _

_ I’ll make the world safe and sound for you _

_ Will come of age with our young nation. _

_ We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you _

_ If we lay a strong enough foundation _

_ We’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you _

_ And you’ll blow us all away... _

_ Someday, someday _

_ Yeah, you’ll blow us all away _

_ Someday, someday…” _

I sighed as I felt Ryohei’s breath slow to a steady deep, showing he was asleep, finally.

In my past life, I had an acceptable voice, nothing outstanding. This body had a slightly better one, with training it could draw attention, but nothing ground breaking.

“The things I do for you, Ryohei-kun, honestly…”

* * *

**  
** **Song used in this chapter:** **_Dear Theodosia, Hamilton_ ** **by Lin Manuel Miranda**


	2. Chapter 2

**Fair warning, I have been listening to the Hamilton playlist for three days straight.**

* * *

 

**Word Count: 8,396**

* * *

 

“Kaa-san! I’m going to the park!” I called, soccer ball tucked under arm.

“Okay, be back by dinner! Take a hat!”

I pulled on my shoes and took off in a gentle jog, adjusting my cap.

That had confused me slightly, Namimori’s tendency to let their children roam without much guidance. I had seen children as young as five run past me, alone and without an adult following close behind.

I remember almost never leaving my house, unless going to school or shopping with my mum, in my past life. So, by habit, when I see a group of young children walk past, I watch them for a little while in case they do something stupid. Call me a creep, call me cautious.

I reached the park and let out a breath, looking around before deciding to go over to the grassy areas and kick the ball around. I walked to the middle of the oval and dropped my ball, catching it in the crook of my foot before tossing it up and catching it with the other foot.

I repeated this a few times before getting the ball up higher and bumping it with my chest, following with my head. I shifted around, trying to keep under the ball and balance it, before letting it roll down my front and pinning it between my thighs. Using my left foot, I moved the ball down my leg before popping it with the heel of my right, launching it up and over my head.

I looped through a mess of practiced movements, doing things that my old body could never do. Going through the movements without thinking of what I was doing, my only goal to keep the ball moving and in the air. 

I let out a whoosh of air as I lost the ball, it flying off the side of my heel. I turned and ran after it, catching up quickly and rolling the black and white ball up my leg in one smooth movement. Bouncing it off my knees, I leant forwards and pinched it between my shoulder blades.

_ “Wow, that’s so cool!” _

I jumped and lost the ball, making me groan as it rolled down the slight decline of the oval into a trench in the ground. 

I turned to the distraction, an eyebrow raised, before stalling.

Ah, fuck.

“Nah, that’s pretty basic stuff. I’m Yamaguchi Daiki, who’re you?”

The black haired, brown eyed child grinned up at me.

“I’m Yamamoto Takeshi! Do you wanna play baseball with me?”

I repeat. Ah, FUCK!

“Sure, why not.”

WHY!?

“ _ Cool! _ C’mon then!” Yamamoto cheered, pretty much butchering the English language.

I parted from him to grab my ball before following after to join him in front of a small pile of baseball equipment.

“Do you have anyone else playing with you?” I asked as I dropped my ball to pick up the smaller one.

“Ah, nah, they’re all busy right now.” He shrugged, grabbing the bat and giving it a few test swings.

“Hm, I’ll bowl first then.” I hummed, jogging a few metres away.

“This good?” I called, raising my hand in a wave.

Takeshi stood in position, his trademark grin on his face, and gave me a nod.

“ _ Ready when you are! _ ” He called back in cringe-y English.

Stop. Please.

I remember Yamamoto being a great base-baller, but I didn’t know what level he was at yet. 

I frowned down at the ball in my hand, spinning it slightly. Let’s start slow?

“Ready!” I called, throwing the ball with more of an arc than I would normally.

I blinked as Yamamoto’s eyes hardened for a moment before, jumping to the side sharply as the ball whizzed past me.

“Damn…You’re good at this.” I breathed as I saw the ball  _ eventually _ reach a stop at the edge of the park.

“Hehe, sorry, I can’t really hold back when it comes to baseball!” 

I waved off the apology and jogged after the ball, grabbing it off the ground and rubbing the dew off on my shift. Reaching my original position, I prepared to bowl again, before Takeshi raised his hand, student style.

“Ya?” I asked, moving back to a normal stand.

“Could you pitch a bit faster? I really like it hard and fast!”

I twitched, caught off guard to the drawbacks of being older than my body.

“Okay, I’ll bowl a bit harder.” I agreed, thanking every lord that this body seemed incapable of blushing.

“ _ Alright! _ ”

Where did the R go, mate?

I was strong enough, having needing to pick up at least 100kg’s worth of flour and other ingredients every morning. I was solid, tight cords of muscle making up my arms and legs. This body was easier to maintain, a faster metabolism and high testosterone levels allowed me to remain thin and form muscle easier than my last. Small blessings.

“Hey, Yamamoto-san! Toss me the glove!” I said, pointing to the mitt at his feet.

“Kay!”

I caught the brown material, noticing how stiff it felt, relatively new then. I looked at the bat in his hands, shiny and barely any scuff marks. The ball in my hand was in a similar condition, a polished sheen reflecting the midday sun. He hadn’t been playing for long.

“Ready!”

I got into position and recalled my arm back, trusting that he’s hit it. He’s Yamamoto Takeshi, he’ll do it.

I threw the ball, using all the muscles in my arm to launch it from my palm. I watched in satisfaction as it shot towards the batter in front of me, before widening my eyes slightly.

His face, he wasn’t ready for that fast.

“C’mon batter! Hit the ball!” I yelled, pulling the mitt onto my hand.

Yamamoto snapped out of his stupor at the last second, swing his bat sharply. I stood still as the ball rolled to my feet, glancing at his with confusion. He…didn’t hit it properly?

“Again!”

I picked up the ball and raised an eyebrow, oh dear.

“Pitch it again!” He yelled, falling into position. 

Ah, competitive is he?

I rolled my arm and sighed, here we go. I’m going to be throwing a lot aren’t I?

“Ready!”

I threw the ball again, letting it speed towards the rain guardian. I watched as he swung, hitting the ball before stalling. The bat unbalanced in his grip, falling back slightly, sending the ball rearing off into what would have been the out area.

“Again, please Yamaguchi-san!”

I groaned to myself but trotted after the now still ball, watching Yamamoto out of the corner of my eye as he adjusted his grip on his bat, frowning at hit.

He only just started, I shouldn’t expect too much of him. He has plenty of time to grow and progress. Come to think of it…

“Yamamoto-san, how old are you?” I asked, tossing the ball in my hand as he shifted his feet.

“Me? Oh, I’m 8, I’ll be 9 in April, the 24 th , though!” 

“Only a month left then, are you excited?” I asked, remembering it was March.

I blinked when no comment came, I looked to him and found him tilting his head and watching me with a confused expression.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just that sounded like something an adult would say…” He muttered, shrugging.

Oh dear, I forgot how perceptive Yamamoto Takeshi was.

“How old are you, Yamaguchi-san!?” He suddenly chirped, straightening.

“10, since January 21 st . Ready?”

He nodded, falling into position, and watching the ball with rapt attention.

I prepared to throw again, nodding to him as warning before ridding myself of the ball with the usual speed and strength.

Yamamoto watched the ball speed at him before swinging the thick wooden bat in his hands, a flash of pride passing through his eyes as the pieces of equipment connected with a satisfying  _ ‘whack!’ _

My eyes widened as I moved quickly, watching the ball arc up as I moved beneath it. I sighed as it landed in my mitt solidly, sending Yamamoto a small smile.

“You hit it! ‘Bout time!”

He grinned at me, bat leaning on his shoulder as he straightened his cap. Yamamoto held his hand out as he moved towards me, offering me the bat and taking the ball.

“My turn to pitch! Get ready, I’ll pay you back for those balls!” 

I nodded, taking the threat very literally, not doubting him for a second. I jogged to where my ball was, watching him as he weighed the ball in his hands.

“Ready when you are!” I called, swinging the bat before adjusting my grip.

“ _ Ready! _ ” 

Why, Yamamoto? Why?

I nodded and swung the bat back, ready for the ba-  _ Nope! Not ready for that! _

“ _ Son of a fuck! That could take someone’s head off! _ ” I hissed quietly in English, too quiet of Yamamoto to hear from where he was.

“Told you!” He laughed like the little devil he was as he ran after the ball.

I stared dumbly at the bat in my hands, before narrowing my eyes. Yamamoto Takeshi or not, I’m not going to be beaten by a _nine_ _year old._

“Ready!” He called, copying my warning.

I fell into position, remembering when I used to play squash against my first dad.

‘ _ Wall-watcher! Eyes on the ball! _ ’

Eye on the ball, got it.

I watched as he reared back and threw the ball like a true baseballer, the blob of white coming at me with disconcerting speed.

I swung as it neared, a burst of satisfaction shooting through me as they connected. The ball bounced off the bat, falling an arms-length away and rolling halfway to Yamamoto.

“Damn, I thought I got it.” I mumbled, 

“Another one?” The Rain Guardian-to-be asked, a grin of his face as he jogged back.

“Of course.” I affirmed, falling back into position.

I was going to hit that thing, if it was the last thing I bloody do.

I tensed as he threw the ball at me, his expression flashing with his game face. My eyes followed the ball as it connected with the bat in my hand, flying off over Yamamoto’s head.

“Yes!” I cheered, a grin splitting my face as I watched it bounce along the ground.

“Aw man!”

I shrugged and jogged up to the shorter boy, placing my hand on his head and messed up his hair.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be able to curb stomp me in no time, I assure you. You’ve got talent, I just got lucky.”

He grinned up at me, making me blink.

Oh, so that’s what his real smile looks like. I gave a slightly smile, a small wisp of pride swirling to life as he let out a laugh when I messed his hair up further.

**...**

I yawned as I leant over a book on my desk, pages of drafts, notes, graphs and self-imposed assessments littering the floor around me. I sat back in my wheelie chair with a sigh, took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes.

“Ugh, logarithms, still hate ‘em.” I muttered, as I looked at the booklet of year eleven maths. 

Leaning forwards again, I put my glasses back on and went back to the equations.

_ Graph the following logarithmic equations: _

_ “C’mon, if Alexander Hamilton, an orphan, bastard and prostitute’s son can do it, so can I.”  _

I grabbed my calculator out and began plugging in the numbers with my left hand, writing down my working on a blank piece of paper with my left.

Ah, gotta love ambidextrous multitasking. 

I frowned down at the question as I tried to imagine the graph, before nodding and graphing the question with my frog ruler. 

For some reason, my mother had come to believe that I loved frogs. I had no idea why.

_ “Daiki-kun! You have visitors!”  _ Speak of the devil.

I blinked and leant back, looking through my open door in confusion. Visitors? 

“Who?!” I called back, straining to look down the hall without getting out of my chair.

“Yamamoto-kun and his father! I’m sending them up!”

Wait,  _ what? _

“Daiki-kun!” Yamamoto cheered as he ran in, trampling over my papers with socked feet.

When did I become Daiki-kun? I thought, raising an eyebrow as he vaulted into my lap and threw his arms around my neck like the spider monkey he was.

I looked down at the grinning batsmen, wondering why the hell he was here. I’d known him for a month or less, and he was  _ clingy _ . He liked to touch, he would poke, grab and hug almost every chance he could get, going as far as just flopping on me if I ignored him long enough.

In that time though, he had never come to my house. The bakery, sure, but never the house.

“Yes, that is my name.” I replied as I reached around him to label the graph, intent on getting every point I could from the sheet.

“So, this is the Great Yamaguchi Daiki-san that Takashi-kun won’t stop talking about.”

I looked up and stared at the man in the doorway, recognising him from vague memories. 

“Good morning, Yamamoto-san. I would get up to greet you properly, but it seems I have gained some weight.” I said, bowing my head slightly as greeting.

“No problem, it’s nice to finally meet you, Takeshi-kun’s told me  _ all _ about you.” He smiled as he approached us, pausing as he stepped on one of my sheets.

“All good things, I hope.” I replied, looking down at the boy who was looking at my booklet in disgust.

“All good things, don’t worry. Tell me, Yamaguchi-san-”

“Please, call me Daiki, Yamamoto-kun already does.” I insisted, giving the said boy a pinch when he tried to touch my glasses.

“Daiki-san, tell me, how long have you been doing algebra?” He asked, showing me one of my old work sheets.

“Daiki-kun’s always studying, he finished algebra ages ago! He’s doing this now, logs!” Yamamoto chirped, displaying my finished graphs.

“Is that so?”

The way he looked at me set alarm bells ringing in my head, he knew I was abnormal, he knew I was unnatural, he-

As soon as the expression came, it left, leaving him to turn to his son.

“You should take after Daiki-san here, study more instead of mucking around in the park all day.”

“But studying is  _ boooriiiiing _ !” Yamamoto whine, leaning back and dragging me with him.

“If you think it’s bad now, just wait until middle school and high school. You’ll cry then.” I breathed, remembering the days of old.

…Well that was dramatic.

“Hey! Hey! Daiki-kun, do you remember my birthday?!”

I blinked and rubbed my ear, looking down at him with a vague scowl.

“April 24 th , you foghorn.” 

He grinned up at me, completely at peace with being called ‘foghorn’. It was nicer than ‘baseball freak’, I suppose.

“Yeah! That’s, like, a week from now! I’m going to have a party, it’ll have cake, candy, presents, baseball, and everything!”

I looked down at him blandly as he flailed on my lap, probably would have fallen if it weren’t for my arm acting as a backboard.

“Five days, actually, and…? ”I asked, tilting my head with a raised eyebrow.

“Well? Can you come?!” He asked, leaning his face near mine.

I looked at him over the rims of my glasses, before dropping my pen and scooping him up. His eight year old body was easy to lift compared to the piles of flour, letting me carry him bridal style. I walked out of my room, descended the stairs and walked into the bakery, Yamamoto’s father following close behind.

“Ah, Daiki-kun! How are you?”

I looked up and smiled at the brown haired woman browsing the pastries section, recognising her easily.

“I’m doing well, Sasagawa-san. How about you? Is Ryohei-kun keep out of trouble?” I asked, shrugging the young Yamamoto up when he let go of my neck and started to slip.

“I’m fine, and Ryohei-kun’s doing well too. You should come over some time, my little Kyoko-chan really wants to meet you!”

Behind me, Yamamoto’s father let out a hearty laugh as he walked over to the woman. They exchanged pleasantries before turning back to me.

“I see Daiki-san’s being just as elusive towards your family as he was to me! I only met the boy today!”

I gave a bashful smile before turning to look for my mother, perking up when I saw her come out of the store room. I shifted Yamamoto before running up to her, joining her behind the register. 

“Kaa-san! Can I go to Yamamoto-kun’s birthday party on the 24 th ? It’s on a Friday!” I asked, bouncing the boy as if to make a point.

She smiled down at us, something flashing through her eyes that I couldn’t quite describe, but whatever it was, it made Yamamoto’s grip on my shirt tighten.

“Sure, sweetheart! Yamamoto-kun, what do you want as a present?” She asked, crouching down to reach out level.

“Baseball stuff!” He cheered, one hand coming away to fist pump.

I raised an eyebrow, what could the boy not have already?

I guess I could get him a helmet, to avoid any… further brain damage.

“Haha, okay, baseball stuff it is!”

I smiled up at her in thanks, before turning to look at the little one in my arms. His smile was fake again, I don’t think he trusts my mother.

I don’t blame him.

“Is there a specific theme to the party, Yamamoto-san? A certain dress code?” I asked, turning to the elder.

My mother turned away from us and focused on serving the other woman in the room, taking and packaging the chocolate cupcakes.

“Well, we’re going to meet at TakeSushi, then go to the local park and play for a while before going back to the shop for pickups. Takeshi-kun here, though, was hoping that you would be able to do a sleepover afterward. If that’s okay with you, Yamaguchi-san?” He asked, raising his gaze to her.

I looked up at her, Sasagawa-san already gone, and waited for her response. She had paused and turned to the calendar on the counter, tracing her finger along the 24 th .

“Yeah, that sounds fine! From what time to what time?”

I let a chuckle rumble in my chest as I heard Yamamoto whisper a quiet ‘victory!’ under his breath, amusing me greatly.

“Friday, 3:30pm, to Saturday, 11am? Is that okay?”

“Definitely. We’ll see you then, Yamamoto-san.”

The man nodded and turned to me and the little Rain Guardian in my arms, Yamamoto lolling his head back so he could see his father, albeit upside down.

“Come on Takeshi-kun, let’s get going, we need to pick up the fish!”

“Awww! C’mon tou-san! Can I stay with Daiki-kun? Please?” He whined, twisting to wrap his legs around my waist and cling like a koala.

“Takeshi-kun, come along. We don’t want to give Daiki-san and Yamaguchi-san trouble.”

My mother smiled before raising her hand to pause the older man.

“He could stay, until you finish your order pick up, I don’t mind.”

One Yamamoto sagged in defeat and the other perked up in happiness.

“If it’s no trouble, it would be a great help.” The single father laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No trouble, go on.”

Yamamoto and I watched his father walk out and head off to the markets, the little boy still clinging to me. I looked up as mum turned and looked down at me with a smile.

“Okay, before you to run off to play, Daiki-kun, I need you to move some of the flour and grain, again. You put it in the wrong place this morning.”

I slapped my forehead when I realised, I had put it down to do something and hadn’t come back to it.

“Oh man, I completely forgot! I’ll do that now, sorry.” I apologised as I ran into the store room, placing Yamamoto down on the cold concrete floor.

“Can I help?” He asked reaching for a 50kg bag of salt.

I scooped him up and disposed of him at the doorstep, worried he’d do damage to himself if he tried to lift the bags.

“Yamamoto-kun, these bags are all 25kg  _ at least _ , I don’t think it is wise for you to move them around.” I warned, standing straight and walking over to the unsteady pile of flour that leant against a 100kg crate of dried meat.

“Why can you pick them up, you’re only a year older than me? Are you really strong?” He asked, sitting on the step.

I thought about it for a moment, squatting in front of the 100kg box.

“I suppose so, for my age I guess I am.” I said as I lifted it off the ground with a small grunt.

“How heavy if that box?” He questioned, pointing to the wooden box in my hands.

“100kg, it says so here. All the bags and crates are labelled with their weights so people don’t hurt themselves.” Was my answer as I gestured to the room.

Yamamoto stood and walked to me, holding his hands out.

“Can I feel, only for a bit.” He asked, placing his hands under the crate.

I frowned and thought, could I do this without hurting him?

“Your hands, try to keep them right there. I’ll slowly add the weight of the crate on them, then you’ll see how heavy it is. I won’t let it go though, so no need to worry about the full 100kg.” I decided, shifting my grip on the box.

“Ready?” I asked, looking at him from around the wood.

“Ready.”

I nodded and slowly loosened my arms, making sure to keep a good grip. I stopped when I heard him grunt, pulling back and holding the full weight.

“That was probably 20kgs of weight, I don’t want you touching those 50kg bags from before.” I stated, before walking away and lowering the box next to a similar crate.

“You move all of these things?” He asked, looking around.

“Yeah, kaa-san hasn’t got much muscle on her. I do most of the heavy lifting around the house.”

“You’re really strong then! No wonder you were able to throw so hard!”

I smiled at him before dropping the last of the bags, and turned to him.

“Yeah, now my warm ups over I can throw even better. I think I have a ball out back, let’s play catch?”

“ _ Oh yeah! _ ”

“Yamamoto-kun, please stop.”

**...**

_ “You bastard!” _

_ “Let go of my imouto!” _

_ “Nii-san!” _

_ “Watch out!” _

_ “Daiki-kun!” _

_ “Stupid Ryohei-kun…the things I do for…” _

**...**

I sat in the hospital bed, ignoring the questioning glances of the nurses, instead looking at my reflection in the window.

Why did I do that? Why did I step in? I knew the outcome of the scuffle, but my body moved on its own and took the hit. Why did I take the hit?

I clenched my hands in my lap, my teeth gritted.

I felt like a thief, I had taken something from Ryohei, a characteristic, a flaw, a trademark. I had taken the scar on his temple, I had split my forehead jumping in the way of the punch that was meant for him.

I could only hope that he kept fighting, promising to win.

**...**

_ “Nii-san, y-you have to promise me! Promise that you won’t fight anymore, people always get hurt!” _

_ “…I…” _

_ “Onii-san!” _

_ “They hurt Daiki-kun…If it makes you cry, and gets my friends hurt, then I promise not to lose! I’ll win!” _

**...**

“I’m not sure about this, are you sure? You only just got out of the hospital…”

I smiled up at her, sitting next to my mother on the couch. My hand reached up and brushed my stitches, they were itchy and my hair got caught, but I didn’t mind. 

Neither did mum.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll have my Panadol and pain-killers with me. If I feel unwell I’ll tell Yamamoto-san and come home, I promise.” I responded, placing my hand over my heart and my other in the air.

“You really do look like your father, more and more every day. The scar just adds to the likeness.” She muttered, tracing the skin around the stitches.

She was right, I did look a lot like him, I had his colouring and his skin tone. My shoulders were broad and my back wide, my face looked like him too, resulting in a solid jawline and an androgynous face.

He had scars too, one that cut his cheek in a long line from his jaw to his nose. Another one should be marring his face now, if that punch of mine was effective enough. I hope so.

“Okay, you’ll be walking with Yamamoto-kun from the school. I’ll come and drop your stuff off at their home during school, so no need to worry about that.” She said, taking her hand back and folding them in her lap.

“Uh huh, I understand, thank you.”

Mum smiled before turning to look at the clock, standing and grabbing her apron.

“It’s time for you to go now or you’ll be late, I’ll see you tomorrow! Play nice, you’ll probably be the oldest at the party!”

I nodded and jumped off the couch, grabbing my backpack and taking off down the stairs and out the shop.

“I’m off! See you Saturday!”

**...**

“Oh my, Yamaguchi-san!”

“Where’d you get that cut!?”

“Cool, you got stitches!”

“How much blood was there?”

“Now, now children! I don’t think Yamaguchi-san likes you all asking him about his stitches!” The teacher called, making the students disperse.

I looked at Ryohei out of the corner of my eye, noticing he was being very quiet. Expected, he thought it was his fault, as anyone would, but the silence was still aggravating.

**...**

It was fourth period and I had had just about  _ enough _ of the situation.

I could handle, understand even, if Ryohei blamed himself. However, the fact that our  _ peers  _ also blamed him. Made. Me.  _ Angry. _

It was around the time the teacher had walked out of the classroom to talk to a fellow teacher, that a student had the  _ gall _ to shoot a  _ spitball _ at the back of Ryohei’s head. Ryohei, himself, accepted the punishment and kept his head down.

That was the last straw for me, I slammed my hands down on my desk and stood sharply. Throwing his desk out of the way, I grabbed Ryohei by the back of his shirt and used all my strength to throw him over my shoulder and stormed out of the classroom.

I brushed past the startled teachers, not caring that they were making out at the least, and walked to the back of the school. I threw Ryohei down and punched the tree behind him, making the leaves fall and a bird to piss off.

“You can hit me, go ahead. It’s my fault you-”

“Shut your trap, Ryohei!” I snapped, ditching the ‘-kun’ as my anger brought back Westerner habits.

“Yes, sir…”

I lept forward and grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground easily and shook him, my face twisted into an angry snarl.

“Why, Ryohei?!”

He looked down, his fringe shadowing his eyes.

“They took my sis-”

“No! You fucking idiot! I don’t care about that! Why the  _ fuck _ are you letting them do those things to you!?” I roared, throwing him back down.

He fell to the dirt, not fighting back. 

I growled and jumped on him, straddling him I grabbed his face and made him look at me.

“Sasagawa Ryohei, look at this!” I growled, pulling my fringe back to show the stitches better.

I felt him flinch and sag, the strain on my arm growing against the weight.

“This wound is _on me!_ Not the _other students_! They have no _right_ to blame _you_ , you are _mine to blame!_ _I_ blame you! _I_ blame _you!_ ” I roared, my grip on his chin tightening.

“I blame you for  _ fighting on your own _ ! Am I so  _ useless _ to you that you can’t ask me for a  _ little help _ when you need it!? You  _ stupid _ boy! I got this wound because you didn’t  _ think! _ ”

I panted, my nails digging into the skin of his face and my other hand pulling my hair harder. Slowly, I regained control and let out a long breath, calming myself. I looked down at him, he was no longer covering his eyes, tears gathering in the corner of them. A flash of guilt struck me as I remembered…

“Ryohei-kun, we’re only ten. We need to rely on our friends and family when we’re out of our depth, lest we drown.” I said, before tightening my grip further, nails digging deeper.

“I don’t care if you blame yourself or not, not really. If you continue to do so though, I at least expect you to do something to recompense. I took a blow for  _ you _ , you take a blow for  _ me _ . If I get in trouble, I’m going to fall back on you for help. Is that clear, Sasagawa Ryohei?” I growled, my teeth coming to bear.

I dropped my arm from my head and let it fall beside his, letting me loom over him.

His eyes were wide, one hand around my wrist to stop my nails from digging further. I refused to break eye contact with him, my brown eyes piercing his own brown. Earth meeting mocha.

“…” He whispered something, too quiet for me to hear despite our close proximity. 

“What was that? Speak up, boy!” I growled, making him jump.

“Yes sir, I understand.” 

I grunted and nodded, letting go of his face, beads of blood bubbling to the surface of the crescents in his face. I looked down at them, a flicker of guilt was squashed as soon as it was felt. I ridded his blood with my sleeve, leaving raw skin behind. I stood, taking a step away from him and crossing my arms. 

The classes at the back of the building had heard our one-sided screaming match, causing some of the students to move to the window to see the cause. They crowded the windows and muttered to one another, some pretending to know what was going on, others asking.

I glared at the children, annoyance bubbling to life in my stomach. I scanned their faces, seeing a mixture of emotions, before stopping on a familiar one.

I stared at Yamamoto with the same bland expression that he sent at me, knowing he wanted to know the story.

“Ryohei-kun, get up. We need to get back to class.” I stated, offering him my hand, not looking away from the Rain.

“Yes sir.” He said, grabbing my hand and letting me hoist him up.

“Drop the ‘sir’, I’m your friend, you twat. If you screw up, I’m going to set you EXTREMELY straight!” I yelled, letting my lips tilt slightly.

His eyes flickered for a moment before he too smiled, brighter and stronger than mine could ever be.

“You too, Daiki-kun, to the EXTREME!!”

**...**

“Daaaaiiiiiikiiiiii-kuuuun!”

I stood strong as a body was flung on me and long limbs wrapping around my frame, only stepping back to balance myself.

“Well hello Birthday Boy, finally nine now, huh?” I smirked down at him.

“ _ You bet!  _ I’m gonna eat so much cake!” Yamamoto grinned, holding the straps of my bag and circling my waist with his legs.

“Uh huh, and I bet you’re expecting me to carry you home like this?” I asked, one hand coming up to stop him from leaning too far back.

He lashed his head up and down in an exaggerated nod, leaning into me happily.

I rolled my eyes, noticing people glancing or outright staring at us. Well I guess this was odd, Yamamoto was only a head shorter than me, and probably only weighed a few kilos less.

“Okay, fine, take your bag off and drop for a second.” I told him, dropping my own bag. 

I leant forward and let him clamber up onto my back, picked up our bags and hooked my arms under his legs. I bumped him higher before walking off, following his directions to TakeSushi. He grinned the whole way, waving to people if they looked at us oddly or at all. He rattled on about just about everything, his classes, baseball, sushi, his dad, the baseball that will happen at the party, homework, his friends, baseball.

“It’s going _ to be awesome! _ ” he yelled, butchering the sentence.

“I’m sure it will be, stop screaming, you’re right next to my ear.” I hummed, leaning my head away from the boy.

“Hehe, sorry, Daiki-kun.” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s fine, just tone it down, I’m literally right here. How much further?” 

I shrugged him further up, following the last few directions before the familiar store came into sight. Leaning forwards, I let the little Yamamoto slide the door open and walked in.

“Yamamoto-san?!” I called into the quiet store.

“Tou-san!? Daiki-kun and I are back!” Yamamoto called as well, still sitting on my back.

“I’m in the back! You two go and change, the others will be here in ten minutes!” We heard from the far side of the shop, making me shrug and glance up at the boy on my back.

Ah, so Yamamoto’s dad was in the dojo. That’s nice.

“Okay!” He called, tugging my hair to guide me over to the housing area behind the shop.

“Take off your shoes here, Daiki-kun.” He said as he kicked off his own, making me wobble unsteadily for a second.

I hummed and toed mine off, setting them straight before doing the same to his messy ones. I dropped our bags next to the umbrella stand and stood straight, Yamamoto no longer able to splay out over my back.

“I’ll show you my room! That way!” He chirped, pointing towards the far door.

I stared at it, unimpressed by what I was seeing. Baseball themed stickers cover the plain white door, the name ‘Takeshi’ nailed just above my eye line in blue. I opened the door, using one arm to keep the boy up, and walked in.

Yamamoto shuffled off my back and ran ahead of me, jumping on his bed and pulling out a magazine from the mess of his sheets.

I closed the door behind me and walked over, taking in the baseball themed room. He had a baseball night light. Jesus Christ.

“It’s definitely cleaner than my room, that’s for sure. You can actually see the floor.” I commented, plonking down next to the younger boy.

“Look, look! I got this yesterday, it’s got the descriptions of all the players in the Samurai’s, Japan’s national baseball team! People like Makita Kazuhisa and Shima Motohiro!” He beamed, shoving the open magazine in my face.

I plucked it out of his hands and flipped through it, scanning the bios, showing polite interest. 

“Cool, did you get anything else?” I asked, closing and returning the magazine.

He nodded and ran to his closet, taking a white jacket out when showed me his new baseball jersey. I didn’t recognise the team, unsurprisingly, but complimented and congratulated anyway.

“What’d you get me?” He asked, leaning forwards expectantly.

I looked to the door and said, “Kaa-san should have brought it while we were at school, it should be somewhere in the house.” 

He hummed and ran out of the room screaming “Scavenger hunt!”

I rolled my eyes and followed after him quickly, wondering his reaction to the gift. 

“I found it! It was under the sink!” 

I turned into the kitchen and leant against the door frame leisurely, watching his shake the dark blue, wrapped box in attempts to figure out its contents.

“What is it?” He asked, flipping it over, trying to find a gap in the wrapping.

“Baseball stuff.” I answered blandly.

“Specifics, please dear.” He said, repeating the sentence I use against him, quite a lot actually.

“You’re a smart kid, you can figure it out.” I shrugged, my lip twitching at his pout.

I watched as he shook the box a bit more before putting it down and crossing his arms, glaring down at it.

“Tou-san said I couldn’t open any presents until the others get here.” He pouted.

I perked and scooped him up, throwing him over my shoulder and walking back to our bags and brought them to his room.

“On that note, we should get changed.” I said tossing him on his bed and throwing his bag on him when he laid there limply.

Turning my back to him, I shrugged my jacket off and unbuttoned my shirt, revealing my washboard abdomen. Opening my bag, I pulled out a black shirt with the number 5 printed in red. 

My mother had gotten it for me, and it had quickly become my sports shirt. Reason? Aomine Daiki from  _ Kuroko no Basuke _ is no.5.

I reached and dropped my pants, pulling on a pair of black shorts quickly as replacement. I folded my uniform and slid it into my bag, before standing and turning to Yamamoto. I blinked when I noted he hadn’t changed, still laying on his back with his bag on his stomach. 

“Did you just watch me change?” I asked, my face and tone flat.

“You have a big scar on your back.” He muttered, his hand twitched slightly.

I raised an eyebrow, that’s new. Oh- Wait, did he mean...

“Not a scar. Why aren’t you changed?” I rolled my shoulder, noticing the faint cracking coming from the right one.

“But I’m comfy!” He whined, throwing his head back.

“Yamamoto-kun.” I warned, approaching him.

He huffed before turning his head away from me, crossing his arms. 

I raised an eyebrow before an idea entered my mind, my hand raised and ventured near his open side. Surging my hand forward, I poked his sensitive side, eliciting a surprised shriek to erupt from the nine year old.

“C’mon Yamamoto-kun, get changed or I’ll tickle you.”

He remained stubborn and scooted away from me, making me grunt as I noticed that he had boxed himself in between the wall and me.

“Not a very strategic move, I must say.” I mocked, crawling up onto the bed and easily poking him again.

He squealed again and grabbed his blankets, cocooning himself in the fabric. He let out a laugh as I let my hands roam, trying to find a kink in his new armour. Finding one, I let my hands slip and feel when it was, his stomach. 

I let an evil grin slip across my face, remembering one of my best attributes. My  _ freezing _ hands that are  _ never  _ warm.

I pulled his shirt up and laid my cold hand along his hot core, the sudden cold making his shriek and recoil. I laughed and followed his retreat, switching to the back of my hand when the palm warmed up.

“C’mon kid, get changed.” I laughed as I changed hands, sliding my hand up his back.

“Cold! Cold! Why are your hands so  _ cold _ !?” He screamed, writhing away from my grasp.

“Because of circulation.” I answered truthfully.

I grabbed the sheets with my free hand and tugged it off when his grip loosened, successfully leaving him at my mercy. I laughed when he tried to scramble away, grabbing his arms I easily pinned the boy, letting me smirk down at him.

“I do believe I win this round, and look, your shirts mostly off.” I said, tilting my head back to look down at him.

“Fine, I’ll change.” He pouted, twisting in my grip.

I nodded and let go of him, backing off and grabbing the sports magazine. I read the bio of the first bowler, or pitcher as they said, and raised an eyebrow at the amount of personal details it supplied. Creepy. 

“You done yet, kid?” I asked, turning the page.

“Gimme a sec.”

“I’m already half way through the magazine, Yamamoto-kun.” 

“You’re just really fast at reading!”

I sighed, closing the magazine as I finished it, the last three pages being empty sticker boxes. Well, now we know where the stickers came from.

“Yamamoto-kun, I have finished the magazine, redressing cannot ta- you’re changing your underwear, okay I’ll be outside now.”

I stood and speed walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind me.

_ … _

_ JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! MISTAKE! MISTAKE! ABORT MISSION! DON’T STORE MEMORY! BURN IMAGE! NOW! _

I groaned and sunk down the door, once again thanking that this body seemed incapable of flushing. 

**...**

“Hehe, sorry about that.” 

I sighed and raked my hand through my hair, using the other one to close the door behind him. I waved off the apology, offering my own one as we walked into the shop of TakeSushi.

“A bit more warning next time, hey?” I asked, ruffling his hair.

Yamamoto laughed and batted my hand away from his head, reaching up to do the same to me, only for me lean back and get out of his range. He leant forwards and I reciprocated by leaning further back until I was parallel to the wooden floor with him splayed over my stomach, me straining to hold balance and him straining to reach my head of black hair.

_ Click! _

We turned our heads to see a sweaty, but relaxed Yamamoto standing over us with an amused expression and a camera in hand. 

“That’s one for the scrapbook, I’ll give your mother a copy!” He laughed.

We stayed in the same position as he walked past, opening the fridge and pulling out trays of cut up fruit and lollies.

“As much as your posing is impressing me, I’d appreciate if you two would help me set out the snacks.”

We parted quickly and each grabbed a tray, sliding them onto one of the booth’s table, before returning to grab the drinks. Yamamoto held the stack of cups, leaving me to lug the 5 litres of cumbersome bottles onto the shoulder height table.

“Careful there, Daiki-san.” The oldest Yamamoto laughed as he helped me put them up, before retreating back to the kitchen.

He came back with a permanent marker and began writing the names of the guests the cups, handing me my own to write my name before handing Yamamoto his pre written one.

I took the pen from him when he finished writing the last name and wrote my name,  大輝 , in thick, practised lines before underlining it. I did  _ not _ want some kid slobbering over it.

_ Knock! Knock! _

“Yamamoto-san! Roshi-kun and I are here!” a mother’s voice called from the entrance as she slid the door open and ducked under the flaps.

“Ah, Roshi-kun!” the littlest Yamamoto cheered before running after his father to greet his guests.

I shrugged before hopping up and sitting at a booth, enjoying the cushioned seats and sipping my apple juice in content as I watched the children pour in. As mother had said, I was definitely the oldest child at the party, the others being nine at the most. I recognised them from the school, but didn’t see any of the key characters, making me lose interest fast.

I watched them blankly, they were loud, talked with their mouths full, their footsteps were heavy and they all clambered for the Birthday Boy’s attention. They acted like children, and I couldn’t fault them for being what they were, but that didn’t mean I had to like being in such close proximity. To my relief, it seemed that neither parent nor child had noticed my being there.

Heh, and I had wanted to be a teacher in my past life.

I tipped the last of my juice back, before sliding out of my booth and walking over to where I had put the bottle. I paused when I noticed a short eight year old reach for the bottle, deciding to wait for my turn, and watched as he urged it towards him with the tips of his finger as he stood on his toes. My eyes widened as the bottle tipped dangerously, the contents began to creep towards the open top and the bottle itself slid from the counter and fell towards the child. The parents noticed it seconds after I did, panicked gasps and yelps erupting from them.

I surged forwards, cutting through the crowd. I scooped up the bottle, hugging it to me with my left hand and caught the loose liquid with my cup, covering the top with it.  

“This is why we always put the lid back on.” I muttered as I slowly removed the cup, now having it half full of my original intention.

I poured the stunned child some before putting the bottle back and reaching for the lid, it was hidden among the oreos. Little savages.

“Good catch, Daiki-kun!”

I finished twisting the top back on, before turning to the birthday boy with a raised eyebrow. The call seemed to unfreeze the party, the a parent coming over to check on the child who had begun sipping his juice happily, the others talking to one another and the other children training their eyes on me with surprising intensity.

“You’re that boy from this afternoon, right? The one at the back of the school?” A little boy of nondescript appearance asked, getting the attention of the others.

“Yes, my friend and I were having a disagreement that couldn’t be handled within the classroom.” I answered, nodding before walking back to my booth.

“Daiki-kun, why are you sitting all alone?! Come and be with us!” Yamamoto called, making the adults turn and see me properly.

“…sure...” I muttered, slowly walking over to stand over the little children.

I shifted slightly as their little, prying eyes focused on my stitches and the bruise that painted my temple.

“So, Yamamoto-kun, when are you planning on opening the presents?” I asked, looking down at the Rain.

The boy perked up suddenly, before he turned and ran to his father, calling for his gifts. As per usual, the cloud of children followed the centre of attention, some branching off to grab treats or their presents to display.

I remembered that my present was hidden under the sink and went to collect it, finding it easily I returned to the circle of children and planted it next to the intended, before walking off to get my drink.

“Not going to sit with the others?”

I looked up to see the eldest Yamamoto smiling down at me, a full cup of juice with my came on it in hand. I reached out for it and gently took it from it with a quiet ‘thank you’.

“No, I don’t want to cramp Yamamoto-kun’s style with my old people ways.” I laughed, shrugging.

“Yes! Tou-san, I got Aoizaka High School Baseball Club! Finally! Thank you Daiki-kun!”

I turned and saw Yamamoto wearing the shiny new, blue batter’s helmet and clutching the four pack of the baseball manga with a grin on his face. I smiled and inclined my head, acknowledging his thanks silently.

**...**

“Okay kids, get a partner and hold onto them! We’re going to the park!” Yamamoto’s voice boomed over the laughing children, calling them to attention.

I watched the children either flock the birthday boy or fall into line with their friends, myself already walking over to the adult and grabbing his hand.

“Is something wrong, Daiki-kun?” He asked, looking down at me.

“Yamamoto-kun looks a bit preoccupied, I’ll be your partner.” I said, falling in line with him.

I didn’t notice the youngest Yamamoto’s glance when I finished my sentence, content to be where I was. He led the way to the park, holding hands with a girl from his class, me and the adult following from the back, making sure none of the children wandered.

I held the bat under my arm and the ball in hand, the single father to the right of me holding mats to be used as bases under his arm, free hand securely around mine. 

“So, Daiki-kun, other than Takeshi-kun, do you have any other friends?” 

I looked up at the sudden question before a wave of depression hit me.

I had one other friend.

Jesus Christ, I needed to step up my game.

“I have Sasagawa Ryohei, I’ve known him since preschool.” I answered, turning back to the trail of children in front of us.

“…Is that all?”

“Yeah. I don’t have much of a social life, sadly.” I mumbled, spinning the ball in my hand.

He didn’t say much after that, the pair of us falling into silence. 

We crossed the street and then the children dispersed into the field, being able to run freely under the watchful eye of the sushi chef.

I let go of the man’s hand and walked over to a shady part of the oval, plopping my ass down at the base of a tree. 

“Hey, where’s the bat and ball?!” Yamamoto called to his father, only to be pointed to me as I held up the desired equipment. 

The birthday boy and his ducklings followed the finger and came to take the bat and ball. I tossed the ball at him and offered the bat to the girl who had partnered with him, folding my empty hands in my lap.

“You’re coming to play, right? It’s funner when you pitch!” Yamamoto asked, crouching before my seated form.

“Funner, is not a word, kid. I’ll play later, now shoo, go get warmed up.” I answered, waving the group off.

I blinked when the group froze, their eyes all pinned to the foliage of the tree above me. Yamamoto’s smile hardened slightly and he gripped his ball tighter, his other hand moved an inch towards me.

“Herbivores, stop crowding, or I’ll bite you to death.”

_ Mother of- _


	3. Chapter 3

**My only words of warning are: “Careful Yamamoto, your yandere is showing.”**

* * *

 

**Word Count: 6,286**

* * *

 

“Herbivores, stop crowding, or I’ll bite you to death.”

_Mother of-!_

I sighed and stood, opening my arms slightly to herd the children from the tree and its dangerous resident.

“C’mon kids, let’s not get him angry.” I said, giving Yamamoto a little push to get him to move faster.

“Does that mean you’re going to pitch, Yamaguchi-san?” The little girl holding the bat asked, looking up at me with her wide green eyes.

“Sure, I’ll bowl first. May I ask your name, little miss?” I smiled, trying to make an effort to be civil with Yamamoto’s friends.

“I’m Tomoe Tamakii!”

I smiled softly, she was such a cute little girl. Her light brown hair pulled into two long pigtails with yellow bows, her clothes were clean and looked relatively new showing she put effort into her appearance. Or at least her mother did.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Tomoe-san, I’m sure you know, but I’m Yamaguchi Daiki.”

“Stop.”

Ah, shit. I thought we were safe too.

The children turned to the Skylark, some noticeably moving to hide behind me, Yamamoto reaching for my arm. I continued to smile, looking straight ahead where the eldest Yamamoto was setting up the bases, watching us out of the corner of his eye.

“You said you’re Yamaguchi Daiki?”

I tilted my head and glanced at him over my shoulder, wondering how I should get out of this. I may be strong, but taking on _Hibari Kyoya_ was a no go. I frowned as Yamamoto moved slightly, whether to go in front of me of behind I was unsure.

“Yes, that’s me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you are Hibari Kyoya?”

Be polite, don’t give him a reason to attack you. If you do that, you’ll survive.

“I heard you got into a fight, hospitalised three of your peers and disturbed the peace. I’ll bite you to death, now.”

Unless he already has a reason, of course.

“I was protecting a friend, I acted out of self-defence and I was straightening out a misunderstanding, respectively. I am sure you understand, Hibari-san. Will an apology suffice?”

I watched as his eyes narrowed further, a small part of me found it funny how he was still quite nerve wracking, despite being an eleven year old, still a child.  

“Fight me.”

“No.”

Perhaps I had been too fast to answer, but I was not fighting at Yamamoto’s _birthday party_.

“Come along children, we should start playing otherwise we’ll run out of ti-” I cut off sharply as a sharp pain rung out through my side, metal digging into the sensitive flesh under my ribs.

I stumbled by managed to keep my footing, that was a warning shot. I turned to the battle stanced skylark, a look of thinning patience on my face.

“Hibari-san, this is neither the time nor the place for a confrontation of-”

“Why do you talk like that?” He cut off, raising his tonfa slightly.

“Why do you interrupt?” I shot back, my arms coming to shield the preteens behind me.

“I asked first question.”

“And I asked the more important one.”

“Fight me.”

“No, we’ve been over this Hibari-san.”

I nudged Yamamoto, gesturing to the awed but shivering children behind me.

“Start playing Yamamoto-kun, I’ll be with you in a moment.” I instructed, giving Tomoe a push.

I watched the Cloud, listening as the children all but evacuated the immediate area. When they were out of earshot, I lowered my arms and crossed them over my chest instead.

“Why do you want to trade blows with me, Hibari-san?” I asked, standing straight, finding a small victory in height compared to the older boy.

“You were disturbing the peace of Namimori, such a thing is only punishable by being bitten to death.” He responded, talking a threatening step forwards.

“I offered to apologise, and yet you only wish to resort to violence.” I sighed, a single foot sliding back.

“ _Kamikorosu._ ”

“I’d rather you didn’t.” I muttered, quickly stepping out of the way of his tonfa.

I did _not_ want to fight this boy, I just got out of hospital, and if I went back I would be less than pleased. I kept stepping out of his range, the wind of his swings brushing my face. My eyes widened when he suddenly ran right up to me, his foot planted between mine and his tonfa fast coming for my jaw. Acting out of instinct, I opened my palms and slammed the heels of them into Hibari’s stomach with as much strength as I could, surprised by how light the boy actually was. I flinched as he skidded, probably winded seeing how my hands had _sunk_ into his stomach with little resistance.

“Hibari-san, please stop. I’m supposed to celebrating a friend’s birthday today, I’d rather not land myself in hospital again.” I pleaded, trying to get out of the situation I was in.

I swerved sharply when his leg lashed out, trying to trip me up. I danced around it like an awkward pelican, ducking under another swipe. How I was dodging any of these was a miracle in itself, luck probably. I yelped as another tonfa caught me in the side, definitely leaving a bruise.

I let out an agitated breath when I saw another come fast, I realised its target and scowled. I caught his wrist, my arm straining to keep the tonfa where it was.

“Aiming for my stitches, that’s a dirty move.” I breathed, my other hand shooting up to stop the other tonfa.

Hibari was as fast as he was strong, and that was a lot, but I doubt he had spent his whole life lifting things twice his weight and carrying them from A to B, daily. When it came to raw, explosive power I outranked him. For the moment at least.

We remained in the deadlock, neither of us backing down as we stared at each other with impassive eyes.

“You talk too much.”

I tilted my head, a small smile flickering onto my face. I began to add strength, pushing harder and harder against the Cloud.

“Or maybe you talk too little, ever thought about it that way?”

I smiled as he took a step backwards, taking my own forwards.

“I really don’t want to fight you, Hibari-san. Perhaps we can stop, and just give you the match?”

“Chattering Herbivore.” He growled, pushing back against me.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’, then.” I muttered, bending my arms slightly before _pushing._

* * *

**|H.K|**

Hibari gave grunt as he dug his heels into the round, a little mound of dirt collecting as he slid slowly. Letting out a growled, his heel bumped into the trunk of the tree he had been napping in before the children had begun to crowd around the boy matching his strength.

No, not matching. _Overpowering._

“Wao.”

**|H.K|**

* * *

 

I grunted as I continued to push, moving until the skylark was flush against the bark. I glared at him, my head bowed and breathing hard.

“There, we’ve fought. I’ve pushed you back, we’re done.” I stated, gazing at the pinned boy.

“No we’re no-”

“What more do you want Hibari-san? If we were to really _fight_ , you could curb stomp me so fast it wouldn’t even be funny. You know it, I know it, hell even Yamamoto-kun knows it, I bet. There’s no real point.” I hissed, squeezing the wrists in my hold.

“And yet here I am, pinned.” He responded, flexing his hands.

“Give it a month, hell a _week_ , and you’ll be able to break out of this easy.” I grumbled, dropping my gaze for a moment.

“But then again, by then I’ll probably have started to punch you…”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that…

His eye flashed for a moment and the corner of his lips twitched, his grip on his tonfa tightening.

Yeah, shouldn’t have said that.

* * *

**|Y.T|**

If one were to ask what Yamamoto Takeshi thought about his friend, Yamaguchi Daiki, his answer would be ‘different.’

Takeshi won’t pretend to understand the older boy, he didn’t think anyone really did, Daiki was too…complex for him.

Too complex, due to being too simple.

He was like that one question on the math test, that looked simple written down, and was simple in theory, but there were too many ways to get too many answers and you didn’t know which the right route was. However, he was also like a character on a children’s show, shallow personality and very little character development, allowing the viewers to be able to predict their actions.

Too much, yet too little.

A lot of nothing.

Then Daiki goes and pulls a stunt, like that at the back of the school, and Takeshi doesn’t know what to think.

The way he talks, the way he walks, the way he sees things were all so different to how Takeshi or any of his friends could. Takeshi had tried to talk to his friends the same way he did to Daiki, half expecting to get an outlandish result, as outlandish as Daiki, but instead he got one he could have come up with himself.

How painfully boring.

Daiki _interests_ him, his presence sets off alarms in his head that he could just _barely_ hear. He didn’t seem to _work_ in the world, like he some sort of rogue element.

There were moments where Takeshi could read his friend like an open book, pick him apart in less than a second, and then there were times that he felt as if he couldn’t even tell Daiki his own eye colour.

There was so much he knew about the older boy, his favourite colour was dark blue, he loved fresh bread, his favourite number was 5, his name was written as ‘big light’, he was amazingly strong, he didn’t care for touching unless he initiated it, he plays with his ear lobe when he’s thinking or bored, he was fatherless, and he was probably smarter than some Takeshi’s own teachers.

But for every fact her knew, there were ten he didn’t.

And by _God_ did he wanted to _know._

He wanted to understand the boy who moved his body around his ball effortlessly, the boy who agreed to play baseball with him, the boy who pitched the first ball he couldn’t homerun, the boy who says ‘bowl’ instead of ‘pitch’. He wanted to pick apart the boy who talked like an adult, who looked at him like he knew him, who would sleep next to him. Takeshi wanted to be able to be able to systematically and chronologically order the boy’s life, he wanted to know what his first word was, what was his first injury, who was his first crush, who put that ‘not-scar’ on his back, where his father was, what was wrong with his mother.

But, at the same time, he didn’t.

If he learned everything there was to know about him, would Takeshi grow as bored and distant to him as he did his other friends? Possibly, and that scared him.

The chances of meeting and interacting with a person like Daiki again within his lifetime was less than improbable, it was _impossible_. Not in a small, sleepy town like Namimori.

But, that all relied on the fact that there was an ‘ _everything’_ . What, if there was something more? Something _past_ the first everything, did Yamaguchi Daiki ever really end? The thing that set off distant alarms, perhaps?

Takeshi didn’t know, but he knew that someone like Daiki could pull off something like that.

Especially Daiki.

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

“A week.”

“Huh?” I asked, looking down at him, my brows frowned.

“You will fight me properly in a week.” Hibari stated before slipping out of my loosened hold and walking away.

“Wait, you can’t just-get back here!”

I growled and clenched my fists as I watched him walk further away, ending the conversation on his terms. I slumped and let out a loud sigh, wincing as my rib smarted from the tonfa strikes.

“Yamamoto-kun, you still want me to bowl?!” I called, turning to the grouped children.

I trotted over to them, sending the only adult in the party a glance, before catching the ball tossed to me.

“You bet! Show them what you got, Daiki-kun!” He grinned before turning to his friends and split them into two teams.

“Team Yamamoto bats first! Team Yamaguchi fields!” The father boomed, the children under his watch moving to their areas.

I tossed the ball up and down, looking at the first batter, Tomoe. Nodding to the girl, I decided to be gentle.

“Ready?” I called, falling into a loose position.

She gave an unsure nod, Yamamoto’s new helmet falling over her eyes for a moment before she pushed it back.

I smiled and tossed it, the ball arcing easily and approaching the girl steadily. Letting out a sigh, I watched as the little girl hit it, the ball bouncing before being caught be the boy standing at first base, catching her out.

Tomoe slumped, a pout falling onto her face before she turned and ran to the back of the batting line. The next batter donned his helmet and fell into a clumsy position, the weight of the bat foreign to the boy.

“Ready?”

I kept tossing, making sure to be gentle with the children, not caring about how Yamamoto kept giving me pouted glances.

“Yes! My turn!” The birthday boy cheered, taking up the bat from the ground and slipping on his helmet.

I reared my arm back and prepared another underarm throw, before pausing at Yamamoto’s ‘stop’ hand.

“C’mon Daiki-kun, give me a good one! Like you normally do!”

I gave a loud sigh as I rubbed my shoulder, feeling the prying eyes of children watch the interaction. Giving an exasperated nod, I waved off his continued plea and fell into a proper position.

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

I gave a grunt as I worked my muscles to _fling_ the ball at the boy, letting the ball turn to a blur. Straightening once ridden of the equipment, I watched as Yamamoto’s game face slid on and his eyes flashed. His arms flexed, before swinging with force and strength that none of the other children in attendance could match.

A satisfying _‘crack!’_ rang out as the bat and ball connected, sending it arcing up into the sky, blending in with the afternoon sun.

The field burst into action, the based players taking off to home, Yamamoto running after them, the fielders flocking to the falling ball and the inactive players cheering for their homers.

“Oh no,” I muttered, noticing the arc of the ball and just where the little Yamamoto was running.

Of course, only when I’m here does the world decide to go to hell.

I began moving, my feet kicking off the ground and propelling my body forwards as Yamamoto reached halfway to second base.

First Ryohei goes all doom and gloom, then Hibari gets on my ass, now this! Damn, move faster!

“Heads!” I yelled, my arm shooting out preparing to catch the ball bare handed.

Yamamoto looked up at the last second, ball falling directly above him. He flinched and stopped running, wrapping his arms around his head out of instinct. The batter waited for the inevitable impact of the ball, but when no such thing came he looked up.

I loomed over him, my body casting a shadow over his face as I clasped the ball in my hands, taking a hissed breath as the skin on my palms burned from the collision. Looking down at the boy, I gave him a once over before pulling away.

“Wao.”

“ _Mother_ of fffffffffffff- _fabulous_ to see you again, Hibari-san, so soon too.” I jumped when the voice sounded behind the centre of my attention, making me snap my head up and Yamamoto to spin around.

“Eh! It’s you again, are you here to play with Daiki-kun again?”

Yes, Yamamoto, we were _playing._ That’s exactly why I feel like I have fractured ribs.

“You said a week, it’s been less than an hour.” I stated, my arms coming up to circle the smaller boy between us slightly.

“I came to watch. That was no herbivore trick, what are you?” The Skylark asked, making a move forwards.

With my hands cupped around Yamamoto’s waist, I moved the two of us backwards and out of the eldest boy’s range.

“An omnivore, like most humans.” Was my smart-alec reply, Hibari’s grip jumping for a moment.

“Hm.”

Yamamoto and I watched as the boy walked away, neither of us really relaxing until he turned the corner and disappeared from our sight.

“I’m sorry, Yamamoto-kun. It seems I brought much unneeded tension to your party.” I apologised, feeling the boy turn.

“Nah, it’s fine! It’s always good to make new friends, Daiki-kun!” He grinned up at me, his hands coming to grasp my still interlocked arms.

I smiled down at his slightly, so naive and trusting. Yamamoto really does think that everything in life is a game, after all.

“I wouldn’t call us friends just yet, our intentions towards one another aren’t entirely pure at the moment.” I chuckled, before taking a step back and tossing the ball in my hand.

“We’re still playing Yamamoto-kun, better get to third base before I get to my plate, otherwise you’re out!”

A grin split the boy’s face and we were off, the other children around us cheering for their teammate, hollering incentives for victory.

“Base!” I heard Yamamoto call, just before my foot planted on my own mat.

“You’re still in, beat me by the skin of your teeth, kid!”

“Alright!”

**...**

“Bye-bye, Yamaguchi-kun! Thank you for carrying me back!”

I bent over to Tomoe’s level and gave a small smile to the girl, reaching out and petting her head.

“It’s fine, Tomoe-chan, don’t go tripping on the way home okay?”

I felt her mother watching the interaction with unsettled eyes, apparently she had heard about the incident, she didn’t trust me around her daughter.

Ah well, what can you do?

“Say ‘thank you’ to Yamamoto-kun for inviting you, Tamaki-chan.” Her mother cooed, tapping her shoulder.

“Thank you, Yamamoto-kun! I hope you like my gift!” She grinned, showing off her missing tooth.

I straightened as the two exited the shop, one stiffer than the other, and turned to face the two men behind me.

I opted to dismiss the sympathetic glance Tsuyoshi was giving me, already accepting that I had done damage to my reputation. I could only hope that the bakery, and by extension my mother, didn’t feel the effects.

“Well, I suggest you two get washed up, we’ll be having a special dinner tonight! Takeshi-kun’s favourite, Hamachi and shrimp, with lots of toro!” The man laughed heartily as Yamamoto cheered doing a little happy dance on the spot.

“C’mon Daiki-kun, let’s have a bath together!”

Wait, what? How ‘bout _no?_

“Um, Yamamoto-kun?” I spluttered as he dragged me through the living area of his home, approaching the bathroom with a little too much vigour.

“It’ll be fun, like in the manga!” He laughed, reaching for the door.

“Yamamoto-kun, I don’t _exactly_ feel comfortable with this.” I spoke up, my voice coming out loud and clear as compared to my last attempt.

He stopped and turned to me, a look of surprised confusion on his face. He closed the door and faced me fully, leaning forwards and narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Daiki-kun, are you…a girl?” He asked slowly, lowering his voice.

I raised an eyebrow, showing no outward emotion other than mild amusement. I lifted my shirt and presented my pancake flat chest.

“What do you think, Yamamoto-san?”

Suddenly, the boy let out a laugh wrapping his arms around his midsection.

“Haha, I was joking! No girl would change in a boy’s room, the first time she came over! I was just messing with you, Daiki-kun! No need to show off your six-pack!”

I let out a huffed laughter, dropping my shirt. I wish I had a six-pack, how awesome would that be?

“But why don’t you wanna have a bath with me?” He asked, calming down and leaning against the door.

Mentally being a legal adult, hiding the fact I’m a girl, you know, normal things.

“I don’t feel all that comfortable being completely bare to you, they’re called privates for a reason, maybe next time.” I breathed, patting his head before walking over to his room, opening his door.

“You shower first, I’ll wait my turn.”

Yamamoto gave a pout before nodding and running into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a solid click.

I did the same to my own door, before leaning against it and sliding to the floor.

“That was _way_ too close, Jesus Christ. Yamamoto Takeshi, you are way too scary.”

* * *

**|Y.T|**

“I wonder why Daiki-kun didn’t wanna take a bath with me…” Takeshi muttered as he stripped himself of his sweaty clothes and tossed them in the corner.

“Ah well, he said next time!” He grinned, before turning on the water of his shower.

Takeshi would have preferred to have a bath, especially with his aching muscles, but Daiki was waiting for him in his room, so he had to be fast.

 _‘Speed is key!’_ as Daiki often said. Where he heard that, he had no idea.

He paused as his hand glanced over his ribs, his mind suddenly jumping to the bruise he had seen when Daiki had raised his shirt.

The other boy, Hibari Kyoya, Daiki had called him, had given it to him. The bruise had looked bad, and Yamamoto won’t deny that he probably would have cried if he had been on the receiving end of it, and he was _damn_ sure his other friends would have _bawled_ if _they_ had got it.

The bruises on his body, the stitches on his forehead, how much more damage could he take?

Takeshi had just about had a _fit_ when he heard that his Daiki was in the hospital, the fact it was through a friend had only spurred him further. How come _he_ had not known? Why did some _other person_ know before _him_?

Soon after, he had learned just about every version and variation of the story, Daiki was attacked on the way home, Daiki picked a fight against some high schoolers, Daiki challenged a local gang, Daiki was in the Yakuza! Each one even more as ridiculous as the last, he knew Daiki would never do something so _stupid._

Takeshi had just been about at his wits end, ready to pack his back and head straight to the hospital to ask the man himself, when he noticed the sullen looking boy he vaguely recognised.

**...**

Pale blond hair, a bandage taped to the bridge of his nose, brown eyes looking to the ground and his shoulders slouched. If it weren’t for his stand-out hair, he might have not recognised one Sasagawa Ryohei. He was usually more-what did Daiki say- _exuberant_ than this.

He made the connection between his Daiki and the Sasagawa child immediately, remembering seeing them together often. _More_ than often, actually. Takeshi didn’t know why, but he made a point of not approaching his older friend when he saw him with his own. Maybe it was to give him breathing space, or a chance to make his own circle, he didn’t know nor did he care. As long as he was there to be with him when he needed him most, he was okay.

An idea struck him as the upper-class man passed him, making a grin pass his face. Perhaps he knew, that must be why he’s so quiet right now!

“Hey, Sasagawa-san! Can I ask you something?!” He called, spinning on his heel and chasing the boy down the corridor.

Sasagawa paused and turned, letting the younger catch up before he eagerly asked the last this the older wanted to hear.

“Do you know what’s going on with Daiki-kun? Why’s he in the hospital? When’d he get taken there?”

Takeshi’s smile dropped slightly when the older froze, emotions flashing across his face, the main and most recurring made Takeshi’s eyes narrow slightly.

_Guilt._

“A-ah, why do you want to know…uh.”

“Yamamoto Takeshi, I’m Daiki-kun’s friend.” He introduced quickly, wanting to _know already._

“Well, it was…It was an accident! I didn’t know he’d jump in the way, I didn’t even know he was in the area!” He suddenly yelped, feeling a tad bit on edge around the younger boy.

“Wait, what?” Takeshi didn’t really understand, but he didn’t like where this was going.

“My sister, Kyoko-chan, was taken by three of our peers and they were going to use her against me. They attacked me and then Daiki-kun was just _there_ and he was punched, then there was so much blood and he just got back up and punched them back! Knocked him right out! Kept pummelling them, he didn’t even notice he was doing it! Th-then he just _dropped!_ As-”

“Wait, wait, wait! I don’t get it, so Daiki-kun _did_ get into a fight?” Takeshi was awed, another side to Daiki that he had yet to learn about!

“Well yes, but only to protect Kyoko-chan and me! He wouldn’t fight for any reason! He’s no delinquent, he’s too nice for that! Sure, he’s a bit scary, and maybe a little bit rude and standoffish sometimes! But I swear he’s-”

“I know, Sasagawa-san! Daiki-kun’s cool, no need to worry. So Daiki-kun’s in the hospital because he stepped in on your fight, to protect your sister and you?” He asked, just to make sure he got all the facts right.

“Yeah, yeah! And when he did, he got in the way of a punch meant for me! That’s why he’s in hospital, he split his forehead! The punch hit his temple, doc said it’s a bad place to get hit, but he’ll be fine. The cut will scar though, he doubts it’ll fade anytime soon too.”

Temple!? Daiki got punched in his _temple_!?

“So…Daiki-kun got hospitalised by saving you?” He asked slowly, a vague frown flitting across his face.

“…Yeah.”

“Heh, sounds like something he’d do! Daiki-kun’s too nice sometimes, am I right?!” Takeshi laughed, grinning up at the boy openly.

Sasagawa gave a tiny, strained smile back before parting with the younger boy.

Later, Yamamoto learned that Sasagawa Ryohei had become the target of blame and bullying due to the truth coming out about why his Daiki was in the hospital.

He didn’t feel sympathy for him.

Imagine Takeshi’s surprise and glee when he heard that Daiki could still come to his party, the next day! He probably spent a good, solid minute doing a shuffle beside his father as he confirmed Daiki’s health over the phone to Daiki’s mother.

The entire next day, he was restless, more so than usual. He wanted to get school over and done with, especially since he’d have Daiki all to himself before and after the party.

His excitement was dampened slightly, during first break, when he noticed something was undoubtedly wrong with his Daiki. He watched from within the confines of his friends as the older boy _stalked_ across the playground with a certain, almost deadly grace. His face was mostly blank, but a faint wrinkle in his brow showed strain. He scanned the crowd of uniformed children, almost as if looking for someone.

When his gaze passed over Takeshi’s group, they visibly tensed. Even though they weren’t singled out, they could still feel the barely contained, feral _intent_ that was wafting off their upper-class man in _waves._

Takeshi quickly shook off the faint buzzing of the familiar alarms in the back of his head and prepared to approach his friend, greet him, welcome him back, wish him good health and ask his side of the story.

However, before he could, a girl from Daiki’s grade did.

The second he spotted her, he didn’t like her. He didn’t know why, she just rubbed him the wrong way. Her voice agitated him in ways he couldn’t explain, her actions made him grimace and her laugh was…urg. He wanted her gone, _now_.

It seemed, that he wasn’t alone in this either, because as soon as she started to reach for Daiki’s arm the boy whipped around and said a quiet few words that sent the girl running, fat tears running down her cheeks.

Daiki rolled his eyes and gave an aggravated grunt, before turning on his heel and storming back into the school building with the bell.

From there on, at every break and passing, Takeshi saw the agitation turn to anger. So, when he heard slamming from the classroom above his, he _really_ shouldn’t have been so surprised. But, he had no reason to expect the look of sheer _fury_ on Daiki’s face as he stormed past his classroom, with the body of Sasagawa Ryohei slung over his shoulder.

Takeshi was the first in his class to move from his seat when the _screaming_ started, the tree outside their window suddenly shaking as if punched. He moved to the window, blending in with the rest of his classmates are he watched Daiki straddle his reason for hospitalisation, forcing him to listen as he drilled words that Takeshi couldn’t hear clearly into the boy’s head.

Takeshi wanted so desperately to tell the children around him to ‘ _shut up_ ’ so he could hear what was happening, but the sudden shift in Daiki’s expression kept him focused. He watched him release his peer’s face and almost caress it, eyes still hard. He spoke, quiet strong words that had the boy under him stunned.

At a moment, the class fell to a hush and Takeshi could finally hear what was being said.

_“Yes sir, I understand.”_

The class burst back into a tittering mess, asking each other for details that just weren’t there.

He watched as Daiki removed himself from the Sasagawa fluidly, standing tall before sending his gaze over his unwanted audience.

Takeshi’s breath caught for a moment, as Daiki looked straight at him, unlike before where he completely disregarded him.

 _I want to know._ Was all he could think as he gazed at the older boy, watching his offer his hand to the still laying boy.

He watched in mild confusion as the two peers exchanged words before smiles brightened their faces, both heading for the school building, the words ‘EXTREME’ echoing through the hall.

Slowly, a sharp smile slid onto Takeshi’s face as he slid back into his seat and tapped his foot impatiently.

“Daiki-kun, you’re too nice sometimes.”

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

“I’m done, your turn Daiki-kun!”

“’Bout time too, I wonder if you even left me or your father any hot water!” I teased as I mused his damp hair.

“I think I did…”

I snorted and flicked his ear with the mutterings of ‘brat’, causing the dripping boy to laugh loudly. Rolling my shoulders, I tossed one of his sports manga back onto his bed and grabbed my own towel and pyjamas before walking to claim the bathroom.

“ _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9!_

 _It’s the ten dual commandments…_ ” I groaned as the lyrics began to play on repeat in my mind, yanking my shirt off my head with a little too much force.

“Speed is key here, five minutes maximum Daiki.” I muttered as I dropped my pants and turned on the water, hot water.

Good little Yamamoto.

Throwing my head under the water, the rest of my body following after, I scrubbed the sweat and grime off my skin. I hissed when I pushed against my right ribs, making me look down to examine it.

Not too bad, not a fraction of how bad it _would_ be given a few years. It was blue, purple and yellowing green, outlines by a fading red, making a bruise that was about the size of my palm stain the bottom of my ribs. Nothing some ice can’t fix, it’ll be fine in a couple days.

I muttered curses to myself, at this rate I was going to meet _every_ main bloody character!

“Goodbye, quiet life.”

Scrubbing the grime from my hair, I thoroughly washed myself, not wanting to stink of sweat in someone else’s house. I stepped out as I finished on the three minute mark, drying myself in less than two. I pulled on an oversized, dark red shirt and a pair black of night shorts, and slipped my towel around my neck to catch any stray drops, before walking out of the bathroom and into the hall.

“And that is what we call a ‘fast shower’ Yamamoto-kun, not your century long ones.” I said as I walked into the room, closing the door behind me.

Yamamoto looked up from the baseball manga and stuck his tongue out at me, before rolling off his bed and dropping down onto the guest futon on the floor next to it. He looked up at me from his starfish position and reached a hand up to me, making a grabby motion.

I rolled my eyes at his antics before gasping his smaller hand in mine and sitting beside him, my other hand coming up to dry my hair. I blinked when I felt moisture splat into my thigh, making me look down to where I saw Yamamoto’s head on my leg.

“Yamamoto-kun, have you dried your hair sufficiently?” I asked patting his hair, pulling my hand away to find a small puddle in the centre.

“What does ‘sufficiently’ mean?”

“Adequate, enough. Now, did you dry your hair?” I answered his question before reaching out and grabbing his towel off his bed.

“It’ll dry eventually, don’t worry ‘bout it.” He whined as I pulled him up and draped the towel over his head, before I began to rub his hair, soaking up the drops.

“Lemme go, Daiki-kun!”

I rolled my eyes and continued to rub his head, not as hard as I would do my own, but enough to get it over with quickly.

“Suck it up, Yamamoto-kun. I don’t need you getting sick on your birthday, especially when I’m sleeping right next to you.”

“But Daiki-kuuun!”

“Deal with it.”

“Meanie.”

“Factual.”

I gave his hair another few more rubs before checking the moisture, finding it acceptably dry. Folding his towel, I draped it over the end of his bed and began to dry my own hair vigorously.

My hair was short as all hell, like Aomine short, so getting the water out was pleasantly easy when compared to my old, mid-back length hair.

Come to think of it, I really do look like Aomine Daiki…

…

Shit. I’m a rip-off.

“Hey Daiki-kun, can I ask you something?” I looked down at Yamamoto, half his face cut from my vision by my towel.

“You just did.” I answered, chuckling at his loud groan.

“Why do you study so much? I mean, you’re doing eleventh grade maths! I don’t even get my fourth grade stuff!”

I hummed before letting my towel fall down my neck, different ways of expressing my reasons coming and going through my head.

“I am the one thing in my life I can control, so I’m going to make myself the best I can.” I smiled, remembering the play I basically live by now.

It was true, in my past life, I had natural talent in a lot of subjects, getting A’s in science and English tests I hadn’t even thought about studying for. But, as per usual, without studying I missed at least three marks, missing answers I could have easily gotten with a little bit of study on my part, dropping my position in the overall ranking.

I wasn’t going to let this chance slip past, I had decided that ten years ago. So if I had to read every tome and treatise on every shelf, and solve every possible equation, to become the best version of myself, I’d do just that.

I smiled softly down at the dazed expression on the little boy’s face, remembering that Yamamoto was smart, but had moved all his motivation to baseball, resulting in scores that were similar to the infamous Dame-Tsuna.

“ _There would have been nothin’ left to do,_

_For someone less astute._

_He woulda been dead or destitute,_

_Without a cent of restitution._

_Started workin’, clerkin’ for his late mother’s landlord,_

_Tradin’ sugar cane and rum and all the things he can’t afford._

_Scammin’ for every book he can get his hands on,_

_Plannin’ for the future._ ” I recited, translating the lyrics to Japanese as closely as possible.

“Huh?” He breathed dumbly, not really understanding what I had said.

“Just another quote to live by.”

Yamamoto let out a groan and let his forehead to thump against my sternum, winding me for less than an instant.

“I really don’t get you sometimes.” He mumbled, making me chuckle.

“Not exactly a bad thing, is it? Some things are better left in the dark.”

“You two, dinner’s ready!” Tsuyoshi called from the other side of the door, knocking as he did.

“We’ll be with you in a moment, Yamamoto-san!” I called, pulling the towel from my neck and throwing it beside the younger Yamamoto’s.

The Rain moved from me, a vaguely confused expression on his face as he rolled my words over in his head.

“C’mon, Yamamoto-kun, your birthday dinner is ready.” I said suddenly, getting out from under him and opening the door, offering him first passage.

“What do you mean?” He asked, still kneeling on the floor.

“You don’t need to know, it’s not time yet.” I smiled, happy to confuse him further.


	4. Chapter 4

**QUESTION! If you were to go into an anime world, and then draw a bunch of people. Would you be great at drawing ‘realistic’, or would it still be counted as anime?**

**feel like tossing some more Hibari in here for you Hibari Lovers. Some more Ryohei in this one too! That sound good? Ya? Ya.**

* * *

 

**Word Count: 7,156**

* * *

 

“Okay, you two, don’t stay up too late. I’ll see you in the morning, don’t get too loud.”

“We’ll try, tou-san, g’night.”

“Will do, Yamamoto-san, good night.”

Tsuyoshi smiled at use before closing the door behind him, leaving us in the soft glow of Yamamoto’s nightlight.

I shifted in my futon, turning on my side as Yamamoto stuck his head out of his blankets from the middle of his bed to look down at me. I raised an eyebrow as he suddenly stuck his tongue out at me, scrunching his face up.

“Is there a reason for this?” I asked, propping myself up onto my elbow, becoming eye level with the boy.

“You didn’t ask what I wished for, everyone else did.” He pouted, blowing up one cheek.

“But that’s counter-productive, I thought you would rather I didn’t.” I stated, letting an amused tone slide in.

“Counter-productive?”

“It means to defeat the purpose, like microwaving an ice-cube.” I explained, thinking up a scenario.

“Ah, that’s pretty dumb.”

“Don’t I know it.” I mumbled, remembering just who was dumb enough to do it.

“But how’s it counter-productive? Everyone always asks!”

“Don’t you know the basics of wish-making, if you tell someone your wish, it won’t come true?” I asked, surely everyone knew this.

“That doesn’t make sense, if no-one knows your wish, how can they make it come true?”

I blinked, stunned for a moment, before a laugh bubbled past my lips. I had forgotten just how smart the boy was, just how analytical.

“Very true, though it is debatable, that you are to work towards your wish with your own power.”

“ _Stupid,_ everyone needs help achieving their goals!”

“Who’re you calling stupid, brat?” I scoffed, flicking his glabella making him yelp.

“Okay, since you’re so adamant about it,” I started, leaning forwards slightly.

“Yamamoto-kun, what did you wish for?”

Yamamoto grinned wide before his hands surged from under his blankets and grabbed my face, making my eyes widen slightly in surprise.

“I wished to be Daiki-kun’s wife!”

I remained still, stunned at the sudden declaration, before my brain caught up with the situation and I burst out laughing, falling back onto my futon.

“Hey, why are you laughing?! Don’t laugh! I’m serious!”

I wiped my eyes, finding the situation mildly ridiculous.

“Aw, Yamamoto-kun, you’re too adorable, you know that?” I laughed again, sitting up to face to frowning boy.

“I’m serious! I wanna be Daiki-kun’s wife!” He stated again, drawing back into his blankets.

“Oh, come now Yamamoto-kun, don’t run away.” I teased, reaching out and pulling him back into the dim light.

“You’re being mean, it’s not nice to laugh at people’s dreams.” He pouted, looking away from me.

“I will admit, laughing at another’s ambitions is quite rude, I must apologise. Something you must be corrected on however, I do believe the correct title is ‘husband’.”

“No, a husband marries his wife! There’s one of each!” He pressed, leaning forwards.

“In the heterosexual manner yes, however depending on the orientation of the couple, there can be a two wives, or two husbands- perhaps more.”

He blinked at me, a blank look on his face.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” I sighed, deciding I wasn’t up for explaining it at the moment.

“Basically, ‘wife’ refers to a woman, and ‘husband’ refers to a man. You, my dear Yamamoto-kun are a man, and thus you would be titled husband.”

“Ah.”

“That’s probably the best I’m gonna get, I suppose.”

A thought came to mind as I sat up, my arm growing tired.

“What spurred this?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Spurred?”

“Sorry, what made you want to be my husband? We’ve known each other for a month at most.”

Simple words, Daiki. Simple words.

“You make me feel all fluffy on the inside! You’re cool and you help me whenever I need it! You carry me, even when I’m not tired and you play baseball with me, even when you’re trying to study!”

“That sounds more like friendship, or brotherhood. Perhaps idolisation, even.”

He shook his head rapidly, making my plant my hand on his head to keep it still.

“No, no! It feels weird to think of you as a brother! I only feel like this when I hug you and stuff!” He denied, hands moving to illustrate his point.

“A simple crush then, I recommend a few month, a year perhaps, and you’ll be over it.” I stated, trying to find sense in this.

“No I won’t! I wanna be Daiki-kun’s husband!”

By this point, I was pretty sure that either his head was gonna fall off, or his face was going to stay in a permanent pout.

“Yamamoto-kun, you are _nine_. I highly doubt you understand the prospect of marriage, or the responsibilities that come with it.”

“I’m not listening, not until you say I can be your husband!” He shouted, plugging his ears.

Oh god, Yamamoto was _that_ kind of kid back in the day, huh?

“Yamamoto-kun, be reasonable-”

“Not listening! Lalalalala-”

“Come along, there’s-”

“Lalalalalalal-”

“Fine! Fine, you can be my husband!” I snapped, having enough of the damn ‘lala’ing.

“Really?!” He grinned, dropping his hands.

“Only, until you either a) get over it, or b) get another partner.” I said, pointing at the boy.

“I’m not getting ‘over it’, I really wanna be Daiki-kun’s husband!”

“I can tell.” I groaned, dropping my hand.

“First things first! You need to start calling me by my first name! Tou-san calls kaa-san by her first name all the time!”

I blinked in surprise at the statement, kaa-san? As far as I remembered, Yamamoto’s mother had never been so much as mentioned throughout the anime, maybe it was in the manga? I was pretty sure she was dead though, she must have died young then.

“Okay…Takeshi-kun.” I muttered, trying out the new label.

I watched as he suddenly flushed, his grin growing wider as he did a weird wiggle/dance. I didn’t know how to feel about this, one of the most sweet-hearted characters was interested in me, great, but he was nine.

Why is this my life? Which god did I piss off?

“Hey, Daiki-kun! Sleep in my bed tonight!”

WHICH GOD DID I _ROYALLY_ PISS OFF!?

“Why?” I asked, my finger twitching slightly.

“All married couples sleep together, kaa-san and tou-san did!”

I groaned as he shuffled back and grinned at me, opening his arms to invite me in.

I’m pretty sure I’m committing like, four different kinds of faux-pas at the moment…kind of.

“C’mon Daiki-kun, we’re gonna get married when we’re older so this is fine!”

Doesn’t make this any easier, kid. Let’s just pretend this is make believe, kids play that a lot, right?

“…Fine.” I slowly said, slipping out of my futon and standing unsurely by his bed.

Why am I doing this again? I’m sure I could get out of this, Yamamoto’s not someone to pressure people who genuinely don’t want to.

“Daiki-kun?”

Ah yeah, that’s why. He’s an adorable little shit.

“Comin’, comin’.” I sighed, crawling into the bed, somehow keeping my face straight.

I kneeled on the bed, having no idea what to do next. Do I just lay down? Sure, let’s go with that.

I shuffled before laying down, my arms stiff at my sides and my mind hyper aware of the distance between our legs, straining to keep it so. I kept my body straight, only curling slightly for comfort, and locked my eyes on the bulge of pillow in front of my face.

I tensed harshly and flinched away when I felt fingers glance over my stitches, my hand twitching to slap the offender’s away.

“Try not to touch them, Takeshi-kun.” I muttered, guiding his hand away from my head.

“Where’d you get them?” He asked, crossing his legs and leaning forwards.

“…Protecting a friend.” Was my eventual answer.

“Ah, they must be really important to you!”

I blinked up at him, wondering what was going on in his head. I didn’t like that smile, it was…off-putting.

“Hm, my oldest friend. Stuck with me through thick and thin, even after the incident all those years ago.” I murmured, a small smile coming to my lips.

“ _Incident?_ ”

I almost stiffened at the tone, somehow keeping my cool and merely looked up at the younger boy, realisation clicking in place.

The incident had happened four years ago, give or take a few months, so the kid would have been, like, four or five. I highly doubt he remembered the event, no one talked about it around him, probably.

“Does it have something to do with the scar on your back?”

Ah, better fix that little misunderstanding up actually.

“That mark on my back isn’t actually a scar. It’s actually just a birth mark, it’s caused by the pigment of your skin being uneven in certain areas.” It just so happens to be in the same place the piece of roof carved off a part of my back. So, kind of scar?

“Oh! That’s good! I was worried, you’re getting hurt a lot!” He sighed, his smile loosening to a more relaxed version.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Don’t worry though, I’m a fast healer.”

Yamamoto gave me a toothy grin before flopping down beside me, shuffling forwards until the lengths I had taken to keep a distance were proven to be in vain. He laughed at my grumble when he decided that my arm now belonged to him, no doubt cutting off my blood flow to my hand as he snuggled into my shoulder.

“Really Takeshi-kun, you like to cling, don’t you?” I huffed, pulling my arm and drawing the kid closer.

“Mhm! Daiki-kun’s warm.”

“Expect my hands?” I raised an eyebrow, a snicker falling from my lips.

“Except for your hands.” He agreed.

**...**

“Go to sleep, Takeshi-kun.”

“I caaaaaaaan’t!”

I groaned and covered my face with the boy’s pillow-pet-ish toy as I rolled onto my back, Yamamoto’s head coming and slamming onto my chest.

The kid had been tossing and turning since the mutual agreement to sleep had passed, resulting in neither of us getting any rest and the sun to be long gone from the sky.

“I told you to not eat so much cake, you’re experiencing a sugar rush.” I sighed, patting his back when he began to kick his legs.

“But it was good! Yamaguchi-san said you helped make it, too!” He whined, rolling up and flopping over me entirely.

“Takeshi-kun, you aren’t exactly light, you know.” I grunted, lifting the soft pillow off my face.

“You callin’ me fat?”

“I’m calling you heavy. Muscle is actually heavier than fat, believe it or not.”

“Really?”

“Yes, now sleep.”

I let out a breath, Yamamoto sinking out of my line of vision as my stomach fell. Why were kids so energetic?

“What can I do to get you to go to bed?” I finally asked, my hand coming up to rake through my hair.

“Hm…sing!”

Ah, no.

“Ah, no.”

Yamamoto pushed off my stomach and straddled on my hips, crossing his arms as he pouted. I looked up at him tiredly as I pinned my fringe back with my hand, a yawn building in my chest.

“Why not? You sing for Sasagawa-san! I wanna hear Daiki-kun sing too!”

How did he know that?

“Hush, Takeshi-kun. You don’t want to wake your father up at-” I glanced over at the glowing red numbers next to the night light. “-at 11:53 at night, do you?”

His jaw clicked shut instantly, his shoulders bunching up around his head, turtle mode.

“Please? I promise I’ll go to sleep right after. Just one?”

I sighed, wondering if I was getting soft for the Rain.

“Very well, a single song. Nothing more, got it?”

“Ya! Ya! I got it!”

I rolled my eyes as the small Yamamoto rolled off me and buried himself into my side, laying his head on my arm. Looking to the ceiling, I thought about a song I could sing to get the birthday boy to sleep .

Wait, birthday… It’s still Friday.

“Okay, I have one. When it’s over, go. To. Sleep.” I stressed, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

“Mhm!” He nodded, fidgeting slightly in excitement.

“Here we go…” I muttered, letting out another sigh as I reached around to twist a lock of his hair.

“ _Happy Birthday to You,_ _  
_ _Happy Birthday to You,_ _  
_ _Happy Birthday Dear Takeshi-kun._   
Happy Birthday to You.

 _From good friends and true,_ _  
_ _From old friends and new,_ _  
_ _May good luck go with you,_   
And happiness too.”

I finished the English song, hesitating before the last verse to try and remember the less known part.

“You know English?”

“Not really, _‘Happy Birthday_ ’ is a pretty simple song.” I lied easily, dropping my arm onto the pillow.

“Do you know any other song-?”

“Takeshi-kun, our agreement was one song, then sleep. So sleep.” I cut off, moving to curl up slightly.

“O-kay.” He whined, burying his face deeper into my side.

“Goodnight, Takeshi-kun.”

“G’night, shujin-kun.”

“Takeshi-kun? Yo, Takeshi-kun? You literally _cannot_ be asleep already. Dude, you can’t suddenly call me ' _shujin-kun'_. Takeshi-kun! Goddamn it!”

* * *

 

I yawned as I sat on a bench in the park, Ryohei jogging in circles as little Kyoko made a daisy chain a few paces away from me. Kyoko was a good kid, always smiling and bright eyed. Not nearly as loud as her brother, but just as enthusiastic.

“Daiki-nii-san! Wear this?”

And she had declared me her other brother.

I smiled down at the child before dropping from the bench and bending slightly so she could reach, the little girl placing a flower crown on my head.

“Thank you, Kyoko-chan.” I thanked, reaching up to stabilise the flowers.

She gave me a Sasagawa grin before running back to the patch of flowers that never seemed to lessen, starting another one for Ryohei, no doubt.

I never did make daisy chains in my other life, I thought as I sat back on the bench, my feet kicking slightly and the tips of my shoes scraping the dirt.

“Chattering Herbivore.”

 _SWEET_ MOTHER OF GOD!

“Hello Hibari-san, I heard about the Yakuza incident, how’re you holding up?” I greeted, turning slightly and catching a glance of a bruise peeking out his sleeve.

A frown forced its way through my defences as I reached out and snagged his hand before pulling up his cuff slightly, revealing a patch of purple that was longer than it was wide.

Baseball bat?

“Baseball bat?”

“Hm.” He yanked his arm out of my grip, taking a step back and reaching for his tonfa. As usual.

“Fight, _now_.”

“Sorry no, it’s too good a day for conflict. You’re not in the best condition Hibari-san, swinging your tonfa with your wrist like that isn’t good for it either. Go home and rest, put some ice on it.”

Oh, hello there tonfa.

I threw myself off the bench as the metal weapon crashed against the wood, drawing the two Sasagawa’s attention. Quickly sidestepping a significantly slower swing on Hibari’s part, I tried to disengage the boy, snagging the back of his collar and tossing him a few paces from me.

“Daiki-kun! Are you EXTREMELY okay!?”

“Yeah,” I called over my shoulder, “just, ya know, playing a bit of rough and tumble. Keep jogging, you haven’t done 100 yet!”

“EXTREMELY RIGHT, DAIKI-KUN!”

Ah, sweet, innocent Ryohei. May you never change.

“Chattering herbivore.”

“Oh, sorry Hibari-san, I didn’t intend to ignore you just now.” I smiled, stepping out of range of another double swing.

“Hm. _Kamikorosu_.”

“Please don’t.”

With that, I turned tail and ran. I regret nothing.

“ _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ ” I muttered, people easily moving out of the way when they saw my follower.

The town’s people had long gotten used to our antics, seeing the cloud chase me down the street was not a rare occurrence, in the least. Hell, some store owners keep a bottle of water handy for us when we run past.

On the bright side, my stamina had gone through the _fucking_ roof! See, all I needed was a murderous, future Mafioso to chase me, and now I’m fit as a fiddle. Look at me now, Ma.

I let out a small yelp as I heard metal clash against the pole I swung around, the edge of what was probably a tonfa skimming my elbow. Upping the speed, I sprinted down the street and vaulted over a cart of fruit, the owner rolling his eyes at me.

“You’re gonna break your neck one day, kid!”

“Not if he breaks it first!”

“ _Kamikorosu_.”

“Son of a bi-”

“Tch, that hurts more than it’s allowed to.” I muttered as I held my ribs, leaning against the wall of an ally as I waited out the Skylark.

Walking further into the ally, I scrunched my nose at the smell of garbage, wondering just how far the Cloud had chased me. The sound of a bin falling made my head snap to the side, there were no shadows due to it being early afternoon, but the lack of such gave me no hint as to what was behind the mass.

“Ello?” I called, my jaw jumping when I was responded to with a growl.

A dog then.

I began backing out of the situation, not wanting to get bitten by a rabid canine, before the mass of junk was roughly disturbed and the source of the growl shot out.

Yelping, I dropped to the ground as it leapt at me, the dog flying over my folded form. Spinning in my position, I faced the dog as it stood guard at the end of the ally, blocking my exit.

“Hey, boy. You trying to keep me here?” I asked, keeping myself small and trying to look unthreatening.

The dog kept growling at me, its tail raised and leaning forwards slightly. When I moved, it mirrored the action and let out a louder snarl, bearing its teeth until I moved back.

I sighed before sitting cross-legged on the floor, no longer wanting to crouch. Resting my head in my hand, I stare at the dog, deciding to work out what breed it was.

“What the fuck is a Scottish terrier doing in Namimori?” I muttered, tilting my head to the side.

The dog was white, for the most part, grime and dirt staining its fur a greyish brown. It was average sized, maybe a little small considering how thin it’s legs looked. Socks of dirt and mud caking his little feet and muzzle, a piece of his right ear was missing as well, chewed off from the looks of it. It looked like it had been through hell and back, like, ‘I’ve seen some shit man’ kind of hell.

I stood up and slowly walked forwards, reaching out steadily towards the unblinking terrier. The black eyed dog watched my hand wearily, going cross-eyed when my fingers touched his muzzle. It didn’t move when I came in contact with it, giving me confidence to flatten my hand and run it along his gritty fur.

Reaching under the forelegs of the dog slowly, I lifted him gently, using my other arm to support his lower body. Holding him up to the light slightly, I noticed how light he was. Like, really light.

“I dub thee, Mephistopheles! Lord of Time!”

_It’s the ciiirrrrcle of liiiiiiiiiffffeee!_

_Aaaand it rules as sooooooo!_

Oh God, now I’ve got that stuck in my head.

**...**

“Kaa-san, can we keep him?”

“Daiki-kun, he’s bitting you.”

“He’s showing affection.”

“He’s drawing blood.”

“He wants to bond with me.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Mephistopheles, Lord of Time.”

“…”

“Or Miphy, for short.”

“…”

“So can we?”

“…sure, sweetheart.”

“Yay!”

**...**

“Herbivore.”

“The window Hibari-san, really?” I asked as I pushed away from my desk, taking my lily pad-pattern curtains from his grasp.

The Skylark dropped from my window, a faint stumble catching my eye when he landed. Brushing off his blunder, the boy began to walk around my room, stepping between my papers easily as he scanned my formula and example covered walls.

“You study a lot.”

I raised an eyebrow at his back when he plucked off a polynomials example off the wall, scanning the steps.

“I suppose I do. Is there a specific reason for your visit, Hibari-san? Are you okay?”

I stood from my desk, walking towards the Skylark steadily, vaguely aware of Mephisto watching out interaction out of one eye from my bed.

“I’m fine.” He grunted, tacking the paper back, before moving to my bookshelf.

“You wear glasses while you study and read.”

“What’s the point of this?”

This was unsettling, I didn’t like this.

I watched him quietly, letting him move around my space gracefully, only disrupted by an occasional stumble. He was injured, I could get that much, but why was he _here_. Glancing at the window, I noticed he had taken his shoes off, some manners at least.

Hibari looked at me for a moment, before walking around me and approached my bed. He observed my golden bell frog sheets with an uncaring expression as he sat on them, keeping a healthy distance from Mephisto.

Hehe, good boy Miphy.

“What’s wrong with your leg, Hibari-san?” I asked, moving to stand in front of him.

* * *

 

**|H.K|**

He had gotten hurt. _Again._

This was honestly unacceptable, the amount of times a herbivore had managed to land a blow on his body. The lesser had gotten cocky after that, boasting and trying to make himself look big, a defensive strategy of a herbivore if he had ever seen one.

He had set them straight.

_‘Resistance was futile.’_

Hibari came to a sharp stop in the middle of the footpath, the grip on his left tonfa tightening.

Yamaguchi Daiki, the Chattering Herbivore, had said that. Many a time.

He just didn’t. Stop. _Talking._

Disturbing the peace with useless chatter, rambling complex words and phrases like they were common knowledge. Annoying. ‘ _Demeaning_.’

The Skylark shook his head before continuing down the street, the sun high in the sky as another spring morning blended into the afternoon. People moved out of his way, parting ‘ _ike the red sea’_ around the only carnivore in Namimori.

Hibari’s jaw clenched, his mind glancing back to every time the baker’s son had used that ‘ _biblical’_ term.

It had been six days and the boy had yet to retaliate, instead blowing off steam on the punching bag hanging on the tree in his backyard. He could land a good punch, Hibari seen that much. Yamaguchi had no real form, he knew the basics but no further, momentum over strength, however with that alone, he was fierce. With _‘no rhythm or rhyme’_ to his movements, he was hard to predict, throwing his body around ‘ _haphazardly’_ , no intention of fighting back and only to get away.

When they had first met, Hibari had brushed him off as just another ‘ruffian’'.  Just another ‘ _testosterone’_ pumped preteen who wanted to show _‘masculine’_ he was, only to run at the first sight of real danger.

Yamaguchi Daiki- he was discomforting.

Something was _wrong_ with him. Like fingers that were just a little too far apart. Like a line that was a little too slanted.

Out of place.

_‘Malapropos.’_

“Why am I here?” Hibari muttered, glancing up at the familiar, open window of the house connected to the Yamaguchi Bakery.

The Cloud had never gone directly to the Chattering Herbivore’s house, preferring to approach him in open spaces where movement was easy. Away from where the younger boy had a literal home advantage, and could easily escape or disengage him.

A flicker of movement behind _‘sheer’_ curtains alerted the skylark to the room’s occupant, and before he knew it, he was climbing the wall with more effort than usually required. Quietly situating himself on the windowsill, Hibari moved the curtains away and quickly scanned the room.

The Chattering Herbivore was sitting at his desk, feet hooked together at the heels as he spun his pacer in hand, pulling his earlobe as he gazed down at an equation through his lenses. He seemed to be unaware of Hibari’s presence in his domain, allowing for the Cloud to relax slightly. Hibari glanced at the little white dog lying on the end of the herbivore’s bed, looking deceptively innocent and calm, but it was due to that ‘Mephisto’ that the Chattering Herbivore had managed to escape three more times than he would have alone.

No immediate danger. Proceed with caution.

“Herbivore.”

To his mild disappointment, the baker’s boy didn’t jump or start at his sudden call like the other herbivores did.

“The window Hibari-san, really?”

Hibari brushed off the tired comment, instead deciding to take the step and completely enter the boy’s den, unsure if he was making a mistake. The first thing he noticed about the room, was the sheer amount of study material there was. Scrawled on paper lined the walls and littered the floor, pieces crunched under the wheels of the boy’s chair and others in half-hearted piles. Books for high school and university were crammed into a large bookshelf, along with folders of indistinguishable contents and more stray papers.

Hibari made comments, stating the obvious as he tried to think of a reason for his being there. He knew of no legitimate explanation, he was just _there_.

Perhaps, it was due to his injury?

More often than not, Hibari would find his way to the Chattering Herbivore when he was injured. It was a recurring incident, not a conscious one from what he could tell. He never would seek the boy out, but he always found him, one way or another.

Maybe he found the concern the boy showed him appealing? Probably not, but it was…appreciated?

Either way, if he was injured, a meeting with the baker’s son was assured within the day, if not hour.

Hibari looked at the taller boy for a while, theories of why he was drawn to the boy when he was damaged coming and going, before he noticed the slowly growing pain in his ankle was become a little bit too much. Turning from him, he walked over to his bed, dropping down with as much grace as possible.

“What’s wrong with your leg, Hibari-san?”

The skylark looked up at the herbivore before him, noticing the familiar expression of barely masked concern on his face.

Annoyingly familiar. Painfully comforting.

“I was biting a group of herbivores to death, one caught me off guard and landed a blow.” Hibari explained, stunning the boy in front of him.

He hadn’t ever told the herbivore about the cause of his injuries.

“Ah, I’m going to guess you taught him his place?” The herbivore asked, letting out a quiet laugh.

“Hm. Obviously.” Was his reply.

The two looked at each other, before it was Hibari’s turn to be stunned.

The standing boy locked his eyes on Hibari’s ankle asking which one was the injured, before slowly kneeling before the seated carnivore. He grasped the skylark’s right foot more gingerly than he remember ever being touched, before taking off his sock and pulling the leg of his pant up to show his ankle red and swollen.

“Did you lose your balance, Hibari-san? It looks like you sprained your ankle.”

Hibari blinked, before reeling himself back in and responded with a short hum, noticing the cold of the boy’s hands sooth his pain slightly. His hands gently prodded the swelling, chastely touching the surrounding area as if looking for something, before retracting and looking up at the shaken Cloud.

“Ah, so you did then. Don’t worry, it doesn’t look too bad. Stay here, I’ll go get some ice from the freezer.”

Before Hibari could respond, he had been lifted off the bed with a little too much ease. The Chattering Herbivore turned him so that he was laying on the bed, a neck pillow placed under his injured ankle.

“Herbivore-” He started, preparing to stand, only to have the said boy to glance over his shoulder with eyes that made him pause.

“Stay, Hibari-san. I will be back momentarily.” Then he slipped out of the room, his feet barely making a sound against the papers on his floor.

Maybe they weren’t so messily tossed about, after all.

Hibari sat quietly, the sound of the herbivore’s clock ticking and his dog’s breath the only sounds in the room. He was sharply aware of the steady rise and fall of the little pup’s body, ready to bolt the second he saw an advance against him.

The Cloud didn’t know why he was waiting, why he was obeying the herbivore’s orders to remain still despite there being an open window less than two paces from him. But he stayed put, and no less than a few seconds later, the Chattering Herbivore walked in, an ice pack in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other.

“I apologise if I took a while, the location of the first aid kit was vague.” He apologised, using overcomplicated language for a simple sentence.

“Hm.”

“A great conversationalist, as always Hibari-san.”

“Hm.”

“I totally agree, a very insightful opinion.”

The Chattering Herbivore continued to ramble as he wrapped Hibari's ankle with the bandage, applying the ice through the layer of fabric to avoid frostbite due to direct contact.

“Why do you talk so much?” The Cloud finally asked, cutting the boy off mid rant.

The Chattering Herbivore paused, before a small smile touched his face.

“I talk when I’m scared.”

Hibari felt something sink when he heard that.

Chattering Herbivore, indeed.

...He still found the boy the next morning, with a small cut on his cheek.

**|H.K|**

* * *

 

“Well Miphy, it’s been a week. Guess I’m going to have to confront the Cloud today, huh. Goodie.”

Mephisto barely glanced at me as he chased a poor butterfly across the oval, before tripping over his own paws and going head over tail into a bush.

Well done. Slow, sarcastic clap.

I sighed when I heard a faint thump behind me, along with the tell-tale sound of metal, alerting me to exactly who it was.

“Good afternoon Hibari-san, how’s that cut doing? I have to say, I didn’t expect you to appear in my room at three in the morning.” I greeted, watching Mephisto clumsily drag himself out of the shrubbery.

“As we decided, a week. Fight me now, Chattering Herbivore.”

I began to fidget, anticipation and fear building.

Holy _shit._ I was about to fight _Hibari Kyoya_.

 _I am going to_ **_die._ **

“Well, in reality Hibari-san, you decided that on your own. I really had no say, did I?”

I shifted sharply, the sound of the metal tonfa cutting the air my only warning of the incoming attack. Taking a couple steps back, I continued to move just out of reach, managing to escape damage by the skin of my teeth.

Wait a sec…

“Did you get _faster_?” I yelped, my eyes widening as I doubled over, barely dodging a foot to the face.

“Hm, you were right. I only needed a week to improve.”

Oh. My. God.

I repeat: I am going to **_DIE_ **!

“Lovely.”

Hibari surged forwards, getting into my space and where I couldn’t maneuver around him easily. Taking a sharp breath, I took a stumbled jump back, narrowly missing a blow to my ribs.

“Why the ribs, Hibari-san? Why _always_ the ribs?”

“Chattering Herbivore.”

I brought my arms up and blocked a strike to my head, before throwing my arms out and pushing the skylark away. Stepping out of range, I began to move further away from the swinging Cloud.

I really didn’t want to fight Hibari, not even just because he was _Hibari Kyoya_ , but because I had no real reason to. I had no vendetta against him, I didn’t want to ‘test my strength’!

Well, hello there convenient tripping root.

“Son of a fuck!” I yelped as I descended fast, falling on my back with a thud.

“ _Kamikorosu._ ” Hibari declared, leaping forwards.

I stiffened and responded the only way I could in my position, I caught him in the stomach with my feet, stopping him from landing on me and keeping him in the air. Grunting when he attacked my legs, I bent my legs before kicking the Cloud into the air, quickly pushing myself onto my feet.

The sudden acceleration up seemed to surprise the skylark, giving me time to rise my hands and bury the heels of my hands into his solar plexus, winding him easily and throwing him back up again.

“Wait a second…” I muttered as he landed in a crouch a little ways away, holding his stomach and breathing deeply.

Did I just… volley set Hibari?

“Jesus fucking Christ.” I sighed, placing my palm on my face.

“Wao.”

Holy shit! Too close!

I stumbled back when I noticed Hibari had closed the gap between us, his leg lashing out and catching me in the side. Giving a hiss, I grabbed his leg and pushed him back, hopefully not jarring his hip too much. He quickly regained his balance and came after me again, swiping his tonfa fast, but in a relatively rhythmic way.

I couldn’t fault him for this, he was still young and not nearly as strong as he would be given a few years. His body was still relatively soft, still forming and changing, so he wasn’t at full strength just yet. So I had a chance of surviving this encounter.

Yay.

“Your swings are becoming predictable Hibari-san, don’t constantly do a right-left pattern.” I said, knocking his tonfa away to prove my point.

Why am I helping him!?

As soon as those words left my mouth, his other tonfa came out of nowhere and struck me in the shoulder, barely missing my temple when I recoiled away and all but leapt to the side. Spinning around to face him again, I blocked a kick to my side with my arm, feeling a bruise begin to form under my sleeve.

His hits were getting harder, that was for _damn_ sure.

Help me.

_How do I do this?_

I ducked under a kick, only to get a tonfa to the cheek and an elbow to the side.

_How do I do this?_

I stumbled out of range of another strike, barely missing being grabbed.

_How do I do this?_

I stepped around a punch, narrowly avoiding another barrage of attacks.

 _How the_ **_fuck_ ** _do I do this?!_

Hibari’s tonfa shot out with terrifying speed, the end colliding with my jaw and making me taste blood.

A sharp sting of pain filled my senses as I rolled my tooth around in my mouth, sirens going off in my head as I pinched it from my mouth with my fingers, bringing it to the light.

Tucking my tooth in my pocket, I stared at the boy in front of me in shock.

“You knocked my tooth out.” I breathed, pointing to the missing molar.

“Hm.”

“You _dick_.”

Taking a moment to stare at the mildly stunned expression on the skylark’s face, I spat a mixture of blood and saliva on the ground, cringing at the taste.

“There we go, Hibari-san. You’ve drawn first blood, you wi- _fuck!_ ” I leapt backwards as his axe kick filled the space I used to be.

“Stop _talking._ ” The skylark growled out, his teeth visibly grinding.

“I’m sorry Hibari-san, but that’s like requesting the sun to not shine.”

Oh, maybe I should have just shut up.

Moving quickly, I did just about everything I could to avoid the unnervingly fast strikes, not liking the _‘whoosh’_ that followed each metal pole in the least.

Awkwardly batting away another kick, I tried to move around the older boy. I ducked under a left swing and just managed to get behind him when he twisted, my arm shooting out and slipping under his arms to link together behind his head. Tightening my hold, I tried to think of what to do next, something that would leave the Cloud immobile, preferably.

The skylark thrashed in my hold, his heels coming to dig into various parts of my lower legs and feet. He tried to smash the back of his head into my face, making me twist out of the way and his head to hit my neck instead.

C’mon Daiki, think! What’ll keep him sti- _Face!_

“Stop attacking my face! C’mon dude!” I yelled, moving out of the way just in time again.

“ _Kamikorosu._ ” He growled, the muscles in his arms flexing as he writhed.

I blinked, an idea suddenly sparking in my head.

A stupid idea, I will admit, but an effective one.

Tensing my muscles, I waited until Hibari flung his head back again, already finding his rhythm and ready for the attack. Moving my head out of the way, I spotted my target, before lunging forwards and sinking my teeth into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

 _Kamikorosu_ that, mother effer.

I felt the Cloud go stiff and still, his feet no longer assaulting my shins and his head frozen at the end of its arc. Forcing my weight forwards, I made the two of us fall to the grass, tightening my teeth when I felt the skylark move against me.

Grabbing his arms, I pinned them to the ground, driving my knee into the small of his back to keep him on the floor. Giving one more jerk of my jaw for good measure, I slowly pulled them from their dents and scanned the damage done to the stunned Cloud.

I wasn’t all that bad, barely bleeding and not very deep, my teeth marks would seem to bruise or irritate more than anything else, a scar was completely out of the question.

“It’s not too bad, the bite mark. It should fade in…a while. My apologies, but you threatened to bite me first.”

“…Hm.”

“May I take this as my win?” I asked, pushing down when he shifted.

“Fine...You win.”

* * *

 

“ _Kaede-chan, I’m sure he’s just a late bloomer! Little Daiki-san’s always been healthy, I’m sure there’s nothing wrong._ ”

“ _I know, but I can’t help it._ ”

I stood behind the door quietly, listening in on the conversation with apathy. My mother had actually been ignoring me as of late, and had been having more hysterical fits. It didn’t take long for me to find out why, my puberty- or lack thereof.

The boys around me, Ryohei especially, had been experiencing voice breaks, growth pains and spurts. Whereas me… Kaede went out and bought me a binder. She didn’t know, at least she pretended not to, but I had begun my menstrual cycle. I borrowed her tampons when she wasn’t looking- yeah, she knew now that I think about it. The sudden rise in the number was obvious.

Now, I just had to find a way to keep up the charade. My voice was already quite low, but not enough. I wonder…

“Hey kaa-san, can I stay ho-o-ome toda-y? It’s the last day, so-o I won’t be missing anythi-ing…”

Kaede looked down at me from beside my bed, a flicker of a smile tipping the corners of her lips.

No, I wasn’t sick, have no fear. I was merely playing the role of the embarrassed pubescent boy, whose voice was in the process of breaking, and he’d much rather _not_ go out. Something I had learned about this body, was that it was very good at mimicking voices, whether they be girl or boy. I had spent many-a lunch entertaining Ryohei with Doraemon voices, having watched episodes with him during the holidays while eating watermelon. Stereotyped, but fun.

“Sorry Daiki-kun, you have to go to school today, you’re getting an award at the assembly!”

“But my voi-ice is embarras _sing_!”

Jesus Christ, I didn’t know my voice could hit that pitch…

“All the boys your age are dealing with the same thing, it’ll be fine! You’ll have Ryohei-kun with you as well.”

Ah, Ryohei, dear little Ryohei. I won’t deny, when I first heard his voice crack, I didn’t even bother to try and hold in my laughter.

“Bu-ut, kaa-san…”

“Quickly Daiki-kun, you don’t have much time until Ryohei-kun’s going to be knocking.” She laughed as she floated out the door, obviously on cloud-nine that her little boy was growing up, finally.

 _“I rea-ally wonde-er someti-imes…”_ I muttered, keeping with my male voice.

The cracks and squeaks, while sounding natural, were not intentional. Like all impressions, you had to find the right place for the sound to come from. I had yet to find the place that gave me enough range for a ‘normal’ voice, so mistakes were to be expected.

I sighed before pulling myself out of the warmth of my bed, not at all enjoying the temperature. Grabbing my pre-ironed uniform, I slipped it on quickly before shuffling out of my room, stubbornly looking away from my bed.

“After this, you’ll only have one more year until you’ll be in middle school! Do you know which one you want to attend yet, Daiki-kun?”

I looked up from my bowl of rice with a thoughtful expression, yes actually, I had thought about it. There was a total of three middle schools in our area, Midori Girls, Yumei Private and Nami-chuu, each with their own, personal prestige. Now, I am recognised as a boy, so Midori Girls had been ruled out, Yumei Private, while it sounds good, has been falling in rank since three years ago, so it’s ability to help me achieve a higher ATAR or whatever the Japanese have is lacking.

So, that leaves our very own, nest of the skylark! Home of the hell bringers! Namimori Middle! Yay!

No.

“Well?” Mother prompted, clicking the lid of my bento box in place.

“I want to go to Nami-chuu, it has the best overall ranking.” Okay, getting there I think.

“Ah, Sasagawa-chan said Ryohei-kun was going to attend Nami-chu as well! You’ll have a friend!”

I smiled and nodded, finishing my rice as a loud knocking rung from the door.

“Daiki-kun! We will race to school to the EXTRE- _ME_!”

Ah, there’s the crack.

“Bye-bye kaa-san, I’ll se-ee you after school!”

“Don’t strain your voice too much, little man!”

Don’t I know it.

I pulled my shoes on and walked out the door, adjusting the straps on my bag in _futile_ attempts of finding the perfect length.

“He-ey Ryohei-kun…” I greeted quietly, keeping my voice quiet as it cracked randomly.

“GO- _O-_ OD MORNING DAIKI-KUN! LET US GO TO SCHOOL TO THE EXTREME!”

I gave a mute nod and followed after him, used to his sheer enthusiasm for just about anything.

Shit, eleven years of Daiki. Damn, does time fly when you’re constantly confused as all fuck.

Three year. Three years until that adult-baby comes to Namimori and all hell breaks loose.

Hopefully the bakery doesn’t get damaged.

* * *

 

**Personally, I feel like Yamamoto would be either a) very blunt, or b) very ‘beat around the bush’ with romantic advances. I went with blunt :). No hesitation on his part, just lined up the shot and fired at the poor kid, haha!**

**Imagine witnessing Ryohei’s voice breaking? Hm…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, guess what! You remember how I wrote Hibari with a sprained ankle, well two days after I posted the chapter, I went and sprained my ankle!**

**Tis fate!**

**But really, ow. It cracked and everything on the way down. I fell with the grace of a refined swan.**

* * *

 

**Word Count: 11,986**

* * *

 

“And what’s this about?” I asked, my grip on the strap of my backpack tightening as I stared down the trio of teens.

I watched them exchange cocky glances, vulgar comments and innuendos tossed between themselves.

The alley I had found myself pushed into was secluded and relatively narrow, dowsed in darkness despite the bright sun hanging in the sky. It was behind the liquor store, causing the sharp smell of alcohol to invade my senses and make me want to scrunch up my nose in distaste.

“If there is no reason, I will be taking my leave now. Goodbye.” I said, turning to leave the boys.

“Hey, hey, hey.” One cooed, walking briskly up to be and blocking my way out.

“C’mon, we just wanna talk to ya.” He continued, giving me a crooked smile.

“Yeah, we’re buddies with Shirosaki Jin. I think you know his little sis, Shirosaki Tsubaki? She’s in your grade.” Another, taller one chimed in, leaning forwards with his hands in his pockets.

Shirosaki Tsubaki, the name ringed a bell. Ah, I knew who she was. She was the girl who had approached me when I was less than agreeable, the day I had blown up at Ryohei, not the smartest choice.

“Yes, though I don’t talk her much, I will admit.” I breathed, watching them carefully.

“Eh, really? Because a little while ago, little Tsubaki-chan came running to Jin-kun crying!”

“Yeah, yeah! She said some  _ mean boy  _ told her to ‘piss off’ when she was trying to be  _ nice  _ to him!”

Ah. Ah, I can see where this is going.

“I will admit, I perhaps overstepped my boundaries. In my defence, however, I was already in a bad mood, and she was one of the origins.”

“So you went and blew up at her because you were in a bad mood? How pathetic!” The last one who had yet to talk spoke up, stepping forwards to complete their little triangle around me.

“As I had said, she had been one of the origins. Therefore she was also at fault.” 

The boys looked at each other before matching grins slipped onto their faces, one moved to roll up his sleeves and the other cracked his knuckles.

“Well guess what, kid. We’re in a bad mood ourselves, and since you’re the origin, we’re gonna blow up at you now.”

Jesus Christ, this was almost a year ago dudes. Either do it when the event is recent or not at all!

But, the saying is ‘better late than never’, so…

I blinked back to reality when I noticed the tallest pull his fist back to swing at me, a small chuckle finding its way out of my body.

_ When you compare a snail to a skylark… _

* * *

_ Where is he? Where is he?  _ **_Where is he?!_ **

_ ‘Hey Daiki-kun!’ I turned my head slowly to the girl who ran up to me, annoyance bubbling just below my skin. _

_ “What?” I growled out, trying to restrain my anger. _

_ “You wanna come sit with me and my friends?” She smiled, stepping forwards. _

_ Her voice grated on my nerves, my jaw jumping as it clenched and unclenched against my will. _

_ “No. Thank you.” I hissed out the last piece quickly, trying to keep at least some sort of polite guise. _

_ “Eh, why not?” _

_ “I’m trying to find Ryohei-kun, so if you would please-” I tried to end the stilted conversation, only to have her cut me off. _

_ “Why are you trying to find  _ him _?”  _

_ Okay, she needed to go now. _

_ “Because I need to talk to him, so I’d like to leave no-” _

_ “He’s the reason you got sent to the hospital in the first place! I would never get my friends hurt like that! I’m really nice to my friends!” _

_ I opened my mouth to try and shut her down, only for her to keep talking. _

_ “Everyone kept saying you were doing bad things and got in trouble, but my daddy’s a doctor at the hospital and told me what really happened. I told everyone that it was Sasagawa-san’s fault!” _

_ What…? _

_ “Now he’s getting what he deserves! So, forget about him Daiki-kun! Come play with us!” _

**_WHAT!?_ **

_“’What he_ deserves, _’ you say. Well, you have to excuse me, Miss Doctor's-daughter, but you father has breached patient confidentiality, which can result in him being sued, punished or both. You have no right to mingle with my problems, nor do you have the_ right _to_ blame _Ryohei_ _when your little,_ underdeveloped _mind could_ never _even_ begin _to comprehend what happened. So, you wretched girl,_ ** _piss. Off._** _”_

* * *

I rolled my shoulder, sighing when I felt resistance and a flash of pain. 

They were slow, uncoordinated messes of limbs when they had attacked me, their attacks were sloppy and their forethought was heinous.

Or maybe Hibari just spoiled me.

“Yeah, that’ probably it.” I muttered as I dragged myself from the alley, keeping my right foot off the ground as the ankle swelled.

I stumbled as I left the three quiet bodies slumped against the wall, using the sides of buildings to keep me up straight. Giving a few clicks and hisses every now and again, I managed to reach the end of the area I was in, leading into my part of the shopping district.

“God damn, how does Hibari-san do it?” 

I took in a sharp gasp of air when my injured foot dropped to the ground, pain shrieking up my leg and setting off something I had much rather I had left behind. A giggle leaked through my lips, before a deep, strained laugh crawled out of my grin and shook my body. My eyes widened as the sound reached my ears, hands coming up to slap over my toothy smile.

“Oh, shut up you spoilt limb, you have no right to complain. Cease! Cease!” I hissed at the bruising appendage, the damned habit coming back from beyond the grave.

“Chattering Herbivore.”

Please, no. Not now.

“Hibari-san, good to see you, as always.” I breathed, leaning against the closed flower shop.

The Skylark watched me with a bland expression, a flash of an indistinguishable something coming into existence for less than a moment before being wiped away.

“You were attacked.”

“Yes, by three upperclassmen. I have left them in the alley way a couple streets down, between the liquor store and the travel agents.”

The Cloud remained silent, and I thought he was actually going to go after them.

“You retaliated.”

“No, not really. It was…friendly fire.” I corrected, trying to reach for my bag.

“Hm.”

Always so able worded, Hibari.

I sighed and began to move again, stumbling along as I tried to ignore the eyes drilling into me from behind. 

“Hm, I no longer owe you.”

I jumped when my arm was grabbed, Hibari throwing it over his neck and pulling me from the wall. My eyes were widened in surprise as he began to walk with me, moving at a faster than kind pace.

“What are your intentions, Hibari-san?” I asked, hopping beside him, trying to keep most of my weight off both him and my screwed ankle.

“Returning the favour.” 

I blinked in confusions before it clicked, a small laugh bubbling past my lips before I could hold it at bay. I felt the rumble of a growl under my arm as I did, the grip on my wrist tightening dangerously.

“My apologies, Hibari-san, but I did not repair you all those times with the intention of holding them over you.” I let out another choked laugh when he kicked my ankle, obviously not trying to brush it off as an accident.

“Ow, that hurt.” I chuckled, my teeth grinding as laughter leaked out between them.

“Why are you laughing, Chattering Herbivore?” He asked, shifting under my arm as we turned the corner.

By this point, we were walking through the most populated part of the markets, students, parents and last minute shoppers stealing glances at the two, possibly crazy, children.

“Sorry, it’s a nervous habit of sorts, I suppose.” I shrugged, tightening my grip on my bag.

“Hm.”

I fell into a fit of uncontrollable giggles when my foot tensed after another hop, my fist clenching in Hibari’s grip.

“Daiki-kun!”

Oh my God, they’re everywhere.

I looked up and sighed when I saw the little Yamamoto running up to Hibari and me, his father looking at us from the window of the bakery with my mother.

I winced as the look on his face tugged at my heartstrings, not dissimilar to how it did when he was on the other side of a computer screen. It was obvious he was worried, perhaps a little scared. A flash of another emotion flickered before I could pinpoint it, but I brushed it off as he all but collided with me, small hands grabbing my mused shirt.

“Takeshi-kun, how are you?” I greeted, giving him a smile that was all teeth as I dropped my bag and wrapped the free arm around in an attempt to hug him.

“What happened!? Did you fall? Did you get into a fight? Who was it?” the little Rain shot off question after question, hands flying from my chest to my suspended leg.

“I’m fine Takeshi-kun, just had a little fall, that’s al-”

“He was attacked.” 

“ _ Hibari-san.”  _ I hissed, tightening the arm wrapped behind his head slightly.

“What?!” Takeshi started, pushing away from me slightly to look at the Skylark.

I blinked at him for a moment, the Cloud forgotten when I saw the sharp look in his eye. His hands were stretching the fabric of my shirt as they gathered more into their grasp, drawing me closer to him even as he moved away.

The words ‘ _ natural-born hitman _ ’ suddenly rung in my head again, the images of a teenaged and an adult Takeshi suddenly bombarding my mind’s eye.

“It’s fine, not yet.” I mumbled quietly to myself, loosening my muscles which Hibari no doubt felt.

I yelped as the support on my right side suddenly gave, Hibari moving out from under my arm and stepping away from me. I tried to straighten, accepting Takeshi’s hands in my own as help.

“I’m going now.” The Cloud stated, giving me a passive stare as he shrugged his jacket on better.

“Uh, well, thank you Hibari-san, for taking me this far.” I smiled, giving him a nod of gratitude.

“Hm.” He grunted before walking away, his jacket fluttering after him dramatically.

“Bye, bye Hibari-san!” The Rain called, bending around me to wave at the slowly shrinking boy.

Aw, he’s so adorable. 

“Oh Daiki-kun, what happened?” I looked up quickly as the two adults jogged towards us quickly, my mother coming to kneel next to me as she took in the scratches on my face, knees and elbow.

“Sorry kaa-san, I got a bit…roughed up.” I laughed, trying to state the matter lightly.

“Daiki-kun got attacked!”

Jesus  _ flippin’  _ Christ!

“It wasn’t that bad Takeshi-kun, they were only trying-” I tried to settle the little boy as he let go of me and ran to his father, tugging him closer to us faster.

“Quite banged up there, Daiki-kun. Your ankle okay?” Tsuyoshi asked, reaching down and grabbing my bag as Kaede ushered us inside the bakery.

I hopped beside the little Rain as he tried to mimic the way the Cloud had helped me, the fact that he was a little below shoulder height on me not aiding him in the task.

“Sorry I wasn’t much help, I’m too short.” He laughed, lowering me onto the couch in the living area behind the bakery, plopping down beside me.

“Don’t worry, hey, I bet you’ll get  _ a lot  _ taller by the time you’ve hit puberty.” I smiled remembering his height, 177cm, right?

“Eh, really?” He grinned, leaning towards me.

“Yep, I’m never wrong.”

I reached down as I said this, untying my shoelace and pulling it the shoe off gently, trying not to jostle the tendons too much. Dropping the shoe, I began to pull off my sock, hissing slightly when I saw the bruising bulge on the side of my foot.

“Ouch.” I muttered, moving to tap the sole of my foot.

“Wow, that looks like it hurt!” The Rain winced, eyeing the injury.

“Only for a little while, it became bearable after a bit. I just can’t put too much pressure on it, so running’s a no-no for a little while. Three of four days, I think.” I hummed, taking off the other shoe and sock.

“Here, Daiki-kun, put some ice on it. Kaede-chan’s gone to find the bandages, she’ll be back in a bit.” Tsuyoshi came into the room, holding an ice pack wrapped in a dish cloth.

“Thank you, Yamamoto-san.” I thanked, taking it off his hands and placing it on the swelling.

“So, Takeshi-kun, how’ve you been. I haven’t seen much of you lately.” I asked, turning from the man’s retreating form to look at the boy.

“Nothing much, school’s the same.” He shrugged, leaning on me as he yawned.

“You’re tired, already?” I laughed, glancing at the clock.

“Hmph.” He grunted, glancing up as my mother walked in with bandages.

“Thank you, kaa-san.” I smiled, drawing in my bandaged ankle.

“No problem, sweetheart.” She smiled, taking Takeshi and my shoes away moving them to the proper place.

I raised an eyebrow as another yawn left the young boy, human nature making a similar one crack my jaw in empathy.

“God damn, you’ve got me yawning now.” I laughed, covering my mouth as another one tore through.

“Do you think they’ll mind if we take a nap?” He asked, looking ready to curl up.

“I don’t think so, rest is also good for healing.” I replied, before laying on my back, keeping my foot on the armrest of the couch.

“Move your arm, Daiki-kun.”

I blinked at the order before catching on, letting my arm fall and the younger boy to nuzzle his head under my chin happily.

“Sleep well, Takeshi-kun.” I hummed, drawing him closer as I coiled in on myself.

“You too, shujin-kun.”

God damn it, Takeshi.

* * *

 

What the hell is that?

“Wait…” I glanced around, before nodding.

“Yep, it’s a dream. We’re good here people.”

I recognised the place I was in easily, having ‘created’ this room under the recommendation of my friend in the past. It was meant to house my ‘inner demons’ as they put it, really it was just something I drew whenever I remembered I even thought it up. The fact that I was dreaming that I was in it was nothing short of a miracle, maybe the injury reminded me of something?

Yeah, let’s go with that.

The room was relatively small, maybe 6m by 3.5m, walls, floor and ceiling all covered by glossy, polished, black tiles that reflected light from an undefined source. In the centre, was a small, metallic and glass, outdoor table set, the metal of the chair’s back twisted into a symmetrical, twisted design similar to the one supporting the glass of the circular table top. The legs of both table and chair were sharp, as if they were trying to scratch the polished tile. Beside the table, on the opposite end to the chair, stood a delicate, metal stand, that arched over at the end to hook onto an empty, metal bird cage.

“I don’t remember that…maybe I made it and forgot?” I muttered, craning my head to look beyond the table set and a door which held the same design as the chair and table with the engravings on its metal surface.

I sighed as I glanced around one more before taking a step forwards, the pain that shot up my leg making me instantly regret it.

“Wait, what? I don’t…you aren’t meant to feel pain in your dreams.” I began to get a tad bit worried, but chalked it up to an exterior source, maybe Takeshi accidentally kicked my foot?

Deciding to employ another strategy, I began hopping across the room on my good foot. Grabbing hold of the handle set, I pulled the door open, trying to remember what was on the other side.

“No thank you!” I yelped as I slammed the door shut again, pressing my body against the metal to keep it closed.

“Ha, haha. Funny, real funny past me. Skeletons in the closet, huh?” 

Yeah, there was a skeleton behind it. The bones sunken into the tile on the other side of the door, sticking out with the space given to them by the door frame. But that wasn’t what unsettled me the most, the ladies suit it was wearing. It was the same one I died in, even had the cufflinks my father had given to me on my birthday that year.

“Skeletons in the closet indeed.” I muttered, before jumping when I suddenly felt a weight push against me.

“ _ L…let me out. _ ”

_ “I…I have…to c-call Mum and…Dad...” _

_ “I didn…t meet up with Mae…” _

_ “I need…need to go to Kat’s weddi…ng next week…” _

_ “L..et me out…Dai-” _

“SHUT UP!” I snapped, slamming my fist against the door.

“Have some composure! Silence yourself!” 

This…was wrong. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.

I yelped as the weight grew, my eyes widening as the handle began to rattle and jolt.

_ “Let m..me out.” _

_ “Lemme out. Lemme out. Leemeoutlemmeoutlemmeoutmetmeoutmeout!” _

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” I began ramming my shoulder into the door, slamming it shut every time it opened slightly.

Oh god no, this can’t be happening.

“ _ I wan-t-t-t to feel the sun again. _ ”

“ _ Please? _ ”

“No sympathy for the idiot!” I yelled, remembering the words I used in the past.

I gritted my teeth as my feet tried to find purchase on the floor, my ankle screaming along with us.

_ “The sun, warmth, burns. Burns! Burns! Burns! Why does it burn!?  _ **_WHY DOES IT BURN!?_ ** _ ” _

I withdrew from the door sharply as the metallic surface began to heat up, the edges slowly turning orange and red.

**_“WHY DOES IT BURN!? WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME!?”_ **

“The hell is going on here?” I whispered, my heart pumping faster than I remember it ever going.

I gasped as Flames began to lick around the frame of the door, bright yellow tongues of fire dancing along the edges of the door. My eyes were trained on the fire as they slowly crept along the metal, a faint buzzing filling the room as I noticed the material of the door…shifting?

The thin gap between the door and the frame was slowly becoming smaller and smaller, until the material of both melded together. The Flames danced around for a moment, the engravings glowing the same yellow as the fire dropped to the floor, and to my horror, began advancing on me.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.” I chanted, backing away as I ignored my ankle to the best of my ability.

I gasped as I hit the table set, my hand coming and grasping it as my ankle failed me. I kept my eyes trained on the encroaching Flames, very much aware of there being no other doors or windows in the room.

“Shit, why didn’t I make an emergency exit?” I squeaked, pulling myself to sit on the table.

The fire suddenly split, arcing around the table set in two neat streams, before connecting on the other side, creating a ring of fire around me. The Flames began to burn brighter, flaring up and spreading at a steady pace as it shrunk the circle.

Wait…I recognise these Flames…

“Daiki, you pulled a dummy.” I muttered as I looked at the Flames,  _ really _ looked.

Sun. 

“Sun Flame.” I whispered, trying to bring up as much as I remembered as possible.

Sun Flame was activity based, Ryohei has them, as does G and Lussuria and a bunch of other probably. They were used as support and…

“Healing.” I glanced at my swollen for a moment, an idea coming to mind as I stared the Flames down.

Giving a nod to the tongues of fire, I slowly reached out my leg, sliding my ankle into the wall of Flames. The relief was almost instantaneous. 

The fire was warm, a pleasant burn, that held a sort of weight that wrapped my bruised and strained tendons. 

“Amazing.” I breathed, withdrawing my healed ankle as I twisted to look at it from a different angle.

“Dying Will Flames…are sure something else.”

I looked at the Flames and blinked when I saw them split off, half returning to repress the door, the other half coming to grow the ring of fire.

“Sun Flames…I have Sun Flames.”

**...**

“ _ Why’d you get hurt?! You can’t die! You can’t leave me! You can’t! You can’t! You can’t! Don’t leave! _ ” 

“Kaa-san, it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m not going anywhere, I promise, so please calm down.” I reassured slowly, watching her carefully as she bodily flung herself at the door to the living space and messily locked it.

_ “You were gone! You’re always gone! You left me!” _

I stared impassively at the hysterical woman, a familiar ‘boom’ echoing in the back of my mind.

Great, now I have  _ two _ women to worry about.

I watched my mother carefully, halving my attention to stoke the Flames inside me to quiet the skeletal woman.

“Kaa-san, I’m a student, I need to go to school. I always come straight home after the bell and I never detour if I can help it. There is no need to worry, I am not going to leave you.”

I began walking towards her slowly, holding my hands up as a peaceful signal. When I reached her, I gently touched her hand, carefully untangling her delicate fingers from her hair and held them in my own, rougher ones.

“See, I’m right here, kaa-san. I’m at home with you, in our living room, talking to you and holding your hand.”

There was a tense quiet in the room, and for a moment I was worried that she would lash out from the contact. Instead, she let out a wail and threw her arms around me, kneeling in front of me as she cried into my shoulder, her hug borderline painful.

“Don’t leave me…stay with me…my little boy…” My mother whimpered, her rattling body clinging to mine.

“Don’t worry, I’m right here.” I said again, slowly bringing my hands up to rub her back.

I stared out the window, watching the sun set over the rooftops. People were still bustling around the streets, their chatter making mother’s screaming another part of the white noise.

Just another day in Namimori.

* * *

 

I sighed and kicked off my desk, flying across the room on my chair as I spun and came to a halt. Grabbing a thick textbook off the shelf, I scanned it before putting it back and sailing to the left, snagging three other books of varying size before kicking off the wall and swinging around to stop back in my desk.

I stacked the books beside their prequels and began to scribble down more answers, rummaging through my drawer for a protractor with my free hand.

_ “And I said _

_ Hey ay ay, hey ay _

_ If crazy equals genius _

_ Hey ay ay, hey ay _

_ If crazy equals genius _

_ Then I'm a fucking arsonist _

_ I'm a rocket scientist _

_ Hey ay ay _

_ If crazy equals genius _

_ You can set yourself on fire _

_ But you're never gonna burn, burn, burn _

_ You can set yourself on fire- _ Oh shit! _ ”  _

I yelped as I came crashing to the floor, my wheelie chair stalling and flipping with me.

“Argh, maybe I should pick up those pencils…and clothes…and shit in general.” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head as I sat up.

“Daiki-kun! Can you come down please!?”

Looking over my shoulder, I gave a loud ‘ya!’ down the hall and followed after it. 

It had been roughly a week since I had the run in with those boys in the alley, terribly cheesy if I do say so myself, and my mother had been on high alert since. Making me stay home from school for the remainder of the week as to keep an eye on me.

Don’t get me wrong, it was probably exactly what I needed with my ankle and all, but after staying in such a confined space for so long, the idea of going out and about was more than tempting.

“Where are you?” I called, not finding her in the living room, kitchen or shop.

“In the study!”

I paused, my fists clenching involuntarily as the idea of my mother being in that room set off sparks, the familiar feeling of my Sun Flame licking the inside of my skin coming to life as its protective traits became aroused.

“Daiki-kun?”

“Coming!” 

I began walking towards the study, the room that had been my father’s niche of sorts when he had still been with us. 

_ ‘Let her go!’ _

_ ‘Fuck off kid!’ _

_ ‘Yamada-kun, please sto-!’ _

_ ‘Shut up!’ _

_ ‘You son of a bi-OPEN THE DOOR!’ _

I gazed down at the door knob, remembering all those damn times I had tried to wrestle it open, only to have it be locked from the inside, trapping my mother with him in a confined space.

This door never opened for me, only for him. It refused me passage to help my mother, wood suddenly becoming equal to iron. Wallpaper suddenly becoming stone.

Shaking myself out of my daze, I pushed open the door with a little too much force, standing in the opening hesitantly. I glanced around the room, taking in the books I refused to touch, the maps I refused to label, pencils I refused to write with, paper I refused to write on. 

“I hate this room.” I mumbled, drawing my mother’s attention.

“Eh, why? With the amount of books here, I’d think this was your heaven!” She laughed, taking a small box off the highest shelf, using a step to help her.

Kaede opened the small, black box and looked inside before a smile flitted across her face. Bringing the box to her chest, she descended the step and padded over to me, kneeling down to my height, she displayed the box to me.

“What is it?” I asked, eyeing the object with distrust.

“Something my father used to use, he gave it to me when he heard I had a son. He wanted you to have it.”

“Ojii-san?” I breathed, becoming more and more suspicious of the item.

I had never seen nor heard of my grandparents, from either side of the family. I actually knew quite little about my parents, other than that they were both an only child, and they had a few screws loose.

“I had thought you wouldn’t need them, you always so gentle. But, it seems I was wrong, you need them more than I thought.” 

I slowly opened the box, to find another, much more adorned one inside. Removing the smaller one, I noticed most of the weight from the first had come from this.

It was sleek and black and had an oriental design, grey engravings of dragons coiling around the lustrous surface as it stood on clawed feet that protruded from the base. 

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what we were doing in possession of such an item, before tilting it to see underneath. The box rumbled as its contents shifted, taking most of the weight with it fast enough to make me almost drop it.

Glancing back at my mother, I received a nod before snapping the latches that held the lid and opening it.

“They’re going to be a bit big, I’ll ask around for a place that sells smaller sets. For now, however, I’ll be asking Sasagawa-kun to teach you alongside Ryohei-kun. He used to be a boxer, I’m sure he can help you learn to use them. Just don’t tell them you’re using them just yet, okay little man?”

I gave a numb grunt, still training my eyes on the two, shiny objects in the box. Reaching in, I removed them before placing the engraved box down, weighing the pieces in my hands.

“Kaa-san, who exactly was ojii-san?” I asked, sliding them on. Yes, definitely too big.

“My father got in with a pretty shady crowd when he was younger, and I guess he liked it there. Daiki-kun, your grandfather was part of a low level Yakuza. They’ve been disbanded for a while though.”

“Hm.” I hummed, moving my hands and blinking when the metal caught the light.

Brass knuckles.

“How quaint.” 

“Holy shit.” I muttered, glancing at the clock as the seconds ticked by.

* * *

 

Ryohei glanced up from his half-finished maths sheet, basic formula written down the margins, a trick he copied off me after I assured him it was fine for class work.

“Is there something EXTREMELY wrong, Daiki-kun?” he asked, glancing at the spinning pacer in my hand.

God, I love that trick.

“We’ve finished the first term already, it's July 20 th today.” 

I stared wide eyed at the date on the board, wondering where the time had gone. 

I jumped when the last bell of the term rung, shocking me back into the present and prompting me to pack up along with my other students. Grabbing my bag, I handed the student in front of me Ryohei’s and my papers before walking out the door with the Sasagawa child leading me slightly.

“So what are you planning on doing this summer break?” He asked, rocking back on his heels as we waited for little Kyoko to separate from her friends and come join us.

“Hm, I just got this quantum physics book yesterday that I haven’t really been able to sit down and read, so that’s the first week gone.” I thought out loud, finding Ryohei’s over exaggerated sigh of despair amusing.

“Joking! I’ll go to the pool, help out around the bakery and we can go to the park.” I laughed, patting his shoulder.

“Oh, thank God.” The Sun breathed, placing a hand over his heart.

“Yeah, like I’d take a  _ week _ to finish and write a summary about the book! Like, a day and a half, at most!”

“You need to EXTREMELY get out more often, Daiki-kun!”

* * *

 

I threw the large bag over my shoulder with a sigh, glancing at the door of the bakery as Kaede flipped the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’.

It was a public holiday today, for whatever reason, and mother had decided it was perfect weather for the local pool.

I couldn’t deny it, with it being roughly 28 degrees in Celsius, it was a good time to make the relatively short trip to the no doubt packed pool.

“Kaa-san, we ready to go!?” I called as she straightened her sundress that she wore over her swimmers.

“Uh huh, let’s go to the pool!” She cheered, ushering me in the direction.

As I expected, the pool was crowded, but not overly so. Enough to feel populated, but not enough to make it hard to move around or get a spot on the ground.

Now, when it had come to swimmers and swimming in total, I had become a bit skittish. However, the solution was simple and I wonder why no gender bender manga used this, rashies. A shirt you wear over your swimmers to protect yourself from the sun’s rays was enough to cover up the binder that wrapped my slowly, but surely, forming chest. This, paired with board shorts, made me into the little Daiki-kun that everyone knew me as.

“Daiki-kun, don’t forget sunscreen!” Mother called, calling me from the edge of the pool with a small bottle of the white cream in hand.

“Coming kaa-san.” Pulling my feet out of the water, I padded over to her, remembering the freckles I had in my past life.

I scrunched up my face as she smothered it over my tan skin, rubbing it behind my ears and down my arms. 

“Can I go in now?” I asked, ready to get into the pool and pull the same stunt I always did as a child.

Get in the water, and wash the sunscreen off. Not the brightest decision when you lived in the land of sunburn and skin cancer, but something I did nonetheless.

“Yes, yes. Don’t get into the deep end just yet, stay in the shallow for a bit, okay?” Kaede smiled, settling back on a chair and reaching for her latest book,  _ Kissed Beneath the Bonsai. _

Basically, an Asian rip-off of a more romance directed Thumbelina. Bleh.

“Bleh.” I said out loud, scrunching my nose up at the book as I pandered to the idea that I was a child.

“Oh hush, go and have a swim.” She waved me off, cracking the book open and leaning back.

I rolled my eyes before spinning and padding over to the pool, wading through the water and past the doggy paddling toddlers.

I swam around for a bit, movements engraved into my Australian mind, weaving between swimmers as I freestyled into the deeper lanes and claimed one for my own. Grabbing hold of the wall, I turned and kicked off, paddling until I reached the end and took a moment to catch my breath, before kicking off and continuing.

Pulling myself out of the water, I sat on the edge of the pool and let out a sigh, my body thrumming with energy. I kicked the water for a few minutes before taking off my goggles and cleared them of mist and water, before clearing my ears with a grunt.

Deciding I’d had enough recovery time, I lowered myself back into the water and kicked off again, doing a rather sloppy breast stroke.

“Daiki-kun, come and get a drink!” My mother called, making me stick my head out of the water and distracting me from rescuing my goggles after a rather badly executed kick off.

“In a second, kaa-san!” I called back, diving back down again.

I braced myself before opening my eyes, ignoring the sting of chlorine and grabbed the blurry set of goggles on the base of the water. I turned and kicked off the ground, popping back up to the surface with little problem.

“Got ya.” I breathed, I clutching the plastic equipment.

“Coming kaa-san!” I called as I pulled myself from the water and padded over to her, dripping a little trail behind me.

I took my juice box from Kaede happily, slurping down the sweet liquid greedily as I reached for my towel, before stalling. There was another bag beside ours, too close for someone to place down politely.

“Hey, whose bag is that?” I asked, pointing to the red and blue striped beach bag beside our own.

“Oh, that’s a friend’s. They came a little after you got in, don’t worry.” She smiled, placing down her own drink.

I hummed in acknowledgement before tottering off to chuck out my rubbish like a good little boy, before getting back into the pool, not even glancing at the shallows before dropping straight into the deep end.

**...**

Oh God.

Oh my  _ fucking  _ God.

Why?

How?

Who did this benefit?

_ This _ ! This right here! This didn’t  _ need _ to happen!

I glared at the tiny boy from over the edge of the pool, only my eyes appearing over the surface of the water as I paddled along, not unlike a crocodile. Letting out an involuntary hiss when he made eye contact, bubbles shaking the surface, the sound making the twig of a child jump and scamper after his mother.

Sawada Tsunayoshi.

_ Sawada Tsunayoshi. _

**_Sawada Tsuna-FUCKING-yoshi!_ **

“No thank you.” I muttered, going back to my laps as I tore my gaze away from the child.

Deciding I had had enough of laps, I pulled myself from the water and padded over to my mother, rummaging through the bag to find my bento box and put something in my stomach. I sat at my mother’s feet as she soaked up the sun, her book dropped beside her half empty drink. 

“Kaa-san, are you getting into the water?” I asked, swallowing an octopus sausage.

“Hm, maybe later sweetheart.” She smiled, reaching for one of my sausages which I readily relinquished.

“ _ Hiiiieeee! _ ” 

Ah, I recognise that call. The famous distress call of a domesticated tuna, marvellous.

Actually, that’s really close to me.

I sat up from my slouch and turned my head, not unlike a meerkat.

Kaede was a smart women, knowing that we would be here for a while and that the sun would move as morning turned to afternoon and thus had chosen a place that had been pretty much vacant when we had arrived due to the lack of sun. Now, we had half sun, half shade, and more would come as the day went. Perfect, if you ask me.

It had come to my attention, that the children also thought that it was perfect, the lack of families making it a prime spot to bully the Decimo. Only they happened to be, practically, right next to us.

“C’mon dame-Tsuna! Get in the pool like the rest of us!”

“Yeah, yeah! Be normal for once!”

I thought for a moment, a faint memory coming to the surface as I recalled the anime. 

…

Tsuna couldn’t swim until he was at middle school.

What the  _ fuck  _ was he doing at the pool?

“Maybe he’s scared!”

“Oh, is dame-Tsuna scared of a little water? Stupid!”

“Even my little sister isn’t scared of the water! How dumb!”

Jesus Christ kids! Who’re your parents!? Who the hell raised you?

“My hands are itchy.” I muttered, glancing at the small party of children.

“C’mon, get him in the pool!”

“Wait, this is a bit…”

“Yeah, I don’t think…”

“Get going Dame!”

“ _ Hiiieee! _ ”

_ ‘Splash!’ _

Suddenly, I was on high alert, the sound of a rather painful belly flop bringing me to my senses.

Had I really let that go on as long as it did? Did I really just let that happen?

I don’t want anything to do with Vongola.

He’s just a kid!

He’s the Vongola Decimo.

Not yet! A little help doesn’t suddenly make me his bae, right-hand and bearer of children!

“Hey…he’s not coming back up.”

Fuck it.

Go!

“Move!” I yelled, dropping my towel and bento before hurling myself into the pool.

As I penetrated the water, I immediately found the sinking boy. He had obviously not been ready for the fall, already looking like he was just about out of air.

His eyes widened when he saw me, his limbs flailed awkwardly as he either tried to swim towards me or away from me. 

I gave a grunt before grabbing him by the arm, tugging him towards me, I wrapped my arm around his tiny waist and kicked off the bottom bursting from the water quickly. I let out my breath as I heard him gulp down air greedily, his hands clutching my rashie with surprising strength.

I swam both of us to the side of the pool, grabbing the edge and sitting him on my leg as I let myself come down from the rush.

“Hey kid, you okay?” I asked, my free hand coming to swipe his fringe out of his face.

He gave a yelp, teetering on my thigh before clutching my shoulders to stabilise himself.

“H-huh?” He gasped out, still reeling with shock.

I raised an eyebrow, before deciding he was as good as he was going to get. 

“Okay then, can you get out of the water?” I asked, hoping he at least knew how to exit.

“N-no…” he whimpered, drawing into himself.

“Okay then, I want you to turn and hold onto the wall, that’s it. Now, I’m gonna give you a boost, okay, put your foot into my hand and…alright, you’re out.”

I pushed him a little more before grabbing the side of the pool and swiftly pulled myself from the water, ringing out the end of my rashie.

“See, he’s fine!”

Letting out a growl, I grabbed the little Decimo, with perhaps a little too much force, and dragged him over to the stupid children. I ignored how Tsuna ‘eeped’ as he stumbled behind me, my eyes trained on the suddenly quiet group.

“You absolute  _ idiots! _ ”

The children flinched back together, some drawing their arms to their chests to protect themselves.

“You could have very well killed this boy! Did any of you even try to think that, maybe, he can’t swim?! What would you have done if he had drowned?” I snapped, using my height to loom over them.

“Now.” I growled, pulling Tsuna in front of me and placing my hands on his shoulder.

“Apologise. Immediately.”

The children gave out mumbled apologies, glancing around as they flushed in shame. 

“Go to your parents.”

They scrammed faster than I expected them to, running across the pool to God knows where.

“Thank you…”

I glanced down Tsuna, suddenly realising something.

“Jesus Christ, you are short.”

Wrong thing to say, my dear.

I watched as he flushed in shame, his huge eyes dropping to the ground as he shifted.

I mean, I wasn’t wrong! He was just below chest height, and probably half my width and his arms and legs were thin and gangly. 

“Sorry, that came out wrong.” I breathed, bending so that I was able to look at him.

“Hey, you sure you’re alright? I mean, that was quite the experience you just had.” I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder to make him look up.

“Y-yeah, I should be fine. Thank you…” He trailed off, the sudden realisation that he didn’t know my name hitting me.

“Ah, sorry, I’m Yamaguchi Daiki.” I introduced, nodding my head with a small smile.

“I’m Sawada Tsunayoshi…” He blushed and looked down, one hand coming to fold in front of his mouth.

…Okay…he’s kind of adorable. I can see where the fandom’s coming from.

“Okay then, Sawada-san, let’s get you to your mother, shall we.” I smiled, standing and looking around for the famous Sawada Nana.

“Ah! There she…” I trailed off when I noticed just who she was with.

I lead the boy over to his mother, my hand on his back, and kept a fairly neutral face.

“Kaa-san!” Tsuna called, parting from me and running to the woman reclining beside my own mother.

“Ah, Tsuna-kun, you suddenly disappeared! Where’d you go?”

So you  _ didn’t _ hear the screaming?

“I…I fell into the pool!”

I frowned slightly at the boy, noticing him glance at me out of the corner of his eye.

“Daiki-kun, this is Nana-chan, a friend of mine. Say hello.” Kaede smiled, drawing me towards her.

“Hello Sawada-san, pleasure to meet you.” I bowed, keeping my arms pinned to my sides.

“Oh, so polite!”

“Only to people he doesn’t know!”

The two mothers laughed together, sending us off on our way with variants of ‘be careful’ and ‘have fun’.

I glanced to the fidgeting boy beside me, and seeing as he was no longer in any danger, walked away. Padding over to the pool again, I dropped into the water and began to swim, diving under at random intervals to watch a pair of siblings swim between the legs of their parents.

“Oomph!”

I popped out of the water at the sound, snapping my head to see Tsuna flat on his face beside me. He had followed me.

“You have fallen.” I stated, treading water in the centre of the lane.

I didn’t know if the redness was a blush or impact.

“Y-yeah…uh...um.”

“Is there something you wanted, Sawada-san?” I asked, trying to be as standoffish as possible.

“You can c-call me Tsun-”

“Sawada-san, is there a reason for this?”

He ducked his head, recoiling into himself. I tried not to feel guilty as he resembled a kicked puppy.

“I-I was… Can we…Will you…Can I play with you?” he eventually asked, hands coming together to fumble with each other’s fingers.

“You can’t swim.” I stated, shooting him down.

“H-how did y-you know?”

“I know what a swimmer looks like in the water, Sawada-san. They usually have coordination to their strokes, you had little to none and simply fell to flailing.”

Boo-yeah, all those PASS lessons finally paid off!

“Oh…”

Oh God, don’t make me feel guilty.

“S-sorry then…”

Nooooo…Guiiiilt.

“I’ll just…go then.”

God fucking damn it! Fine!  _ Fine! _

“I could…try and teach-I could…try and teach you to swim. If you wanted.” I muttered, glancing off to the side.

The Sky suddenly shrunk, his lip twitching for a second, but enough to make me wonder if it was really a good idea.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sure. Go to the shallow end, I’ll meet you there.” I ordered, before turning and swimming away.

I hate being nice sometimes.

“Okay, firstly, do you have any experience whatsoever with swimming? Other than that little spill from before.” I asked, moving to stand as I reached the steep incline at the front of the pool.

“N-no. I mean, I take baths but- _ Hiiiee! _ ”

I stiffened when the little boy tripped over, his once hesitant steps devolving into haphazard hops before he crashed face first into my stomach. I remained standing as he froze, possibly scared witless of the next movement.

“What did you trip over?” I mumbled, looking over him all too easily as I scanned the slant.

Nothing. He had tripped over nothing.

“…Moving on, then.”

This is going to be harder than I thought.

* * *

 

**|S.T|**

Why? Why? Why?

Why are we at the  _ pool?! _

Sawada Tsunayoshi shifted unsurely behind his mum as she spotted a friend, the nice lady from the bakery. He followed after her, making a wide arc around the edge of the pool, almost tripping over a noodle as he did.

Tsunayoshi didn’t have many friends. Scratch that, he had none. He was ostracised in school and in the playground, his ‘dame-ness’ apparently being labelled as infectious. 

He didn’t mind though, it gave him more time to spend with his mum. She was kind and soft, always so sweet to him doesn’t get mad at him. She made him snacks and sweets, kept his belly full and always gave the best hugs.

Tsuna really did love his mum.

“Ah, Kaede-chan! How are you, I haven’t seen you in so long!” His mum squealed, walking swiftly over to her peer with enthusiasm.

“Nana-chan! Come sit with me, there’s plenty of space!” The baker, Kaede, called, sitting up and waving them over.

That’s because there’s no sun here, Tsuna thought, glancing to where the warmth radiated.

“Ah, this must be little Tsuna-kun! Oh, he’s so adorable!”

Tsuna snapped his head around, before quickly curling into himself, a flush working across his cheeks.

“H-hello…” He whispered, glancing to his mother for support.

“Tsuna-kun, let’s go get an ice-cream at the canteen.” His mother smiled, dropping their stuff.

“Yeah!” He grinned, trotting after his mother like a duckling.

The Sky shifted for a moment, a shiver creeping up his spine and making him turn to the pool. He took a sharp breath when he saw it, a boy, much larger than himself, peeking out of the surface of the water.

Tsuna flushed under attention, glancing to the boy’s dark eyes with worry.

The boy narrowed his eyes suddenly, bubbles disturbing the surface of the water, before mumbling something and kicked off the wall with ease.

Tsuna watched as he cut through the water, the liquid parting for him submissively as he powered from one end to the other.

“Tsuna-kun!”

“Coming kaa-san!”

**...**

How did he get into this mess? 

“C’mon Dame-Tsuna! Get in the pool like the rest of us!”

“Yeah, yeah! Be normal for once!”

Tsuna flinched back at the jab, not liking how close the boy was when he had yelled that.

“Maybe he’s scared!”

“Oh, is Dame-Tsuna scared of a little water? Stupid!”

A pang of shame flickered in his chest, he knew how dumb it was to be afraid of water, but he couldn’t help it.

“Get going, Dame!”

He barely had enough time to shut his eyes before he impacted the water, his skin stinging as a short ‘slap’ reached his ears before he sunk like a rock. 

The faint clicking and bubbling of water filled his ears, screams, laughs and chatter muffled by heavy liquid leaving Tsuna in a muted world as he fell. His limbs were heavy and his mind raced, he had no idea what to do and he could feel his lungs begin to burn. 

Tsuna looked to the surface of the water, noticing how far away it was. There was no way he could reach that in time. He was going to drown. He couldn’t swim, to literally, save his life.

For a second, his mind flashed back to the boy who swam effortlessly through the water as if it was his second home. He wouldn’t have had this problem, Tsuna bet he would have just turned the fall into a dive and pierced the water at the perfect angle.

Or maybe he would have panicked, the sudden push confounding him for a moment and giving him enough time to sink. 

No, Tsuna finally decided, he wouldn’t have even been in this situation.

There was an explosion of sound above the water, the figures of his peers parting faster than he had ever seen them, before a shadow was cast over the water, and the far away surface parted above him.

Tsuna’s eyes widened when he saw the other, his eyes narrowed around the chlorine and his arms working swiftly to send him flying through the water. The Sky flailed his limbs, trying to evade the boy as he powered towards him, scared that they would collide, only for him to snag Tsuna around the waist and haul both of them through the water.

As they broke the surface, Tsuna let out the breath that had been rotting in his lungs, renewing it just as fast. He grasped onto the boy’s shirt, his little fists trying to ground himself. 

The brunette’s eyes were shut tight as they moved, only mildly bothered by the feeling of water moving around him, but finding comfort in the arm wrapped around him. Tsuna felt himself get lifted for a moment, before the boy placed his thigh between the Sky’s legs and held him to the wall with it.

They were quiet for a few seconds, the sounds of their steadying breaths the only sounds traded between them.

Tsuna slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the board short clad thigh that was slid between his legs, before his eyes trailed up a shirt that clung to a broad frame then landed on his saviour’s face.

The boy from before.

His eyes were shut as they stung, his tanned face scrunched up in annoyance as he cleared his nose and spat out a spray of pool water. The boy must not have had enough time to pull his goggles down as they pinned back black hair that had hints of blue, cut short and manageable that dripped with water.

He had rushed to help him.

Tsuna felt a small flush touch his cheeks as embarrassment and joy mixed in his chest. 

The boy gave a grunt before opening his eyes, turning them to look at Tsuna. 

Tsuna decided then that he liked the boy’s eyes, despite how scary they looked, bloodshot and sharp. They were pools of earth that blended with amber at random intervals, making him remember a pretty stone pendant his father had sent his mother from overseas.

“Hey kid, you alright?”

His voice was nice, it was smooth and deep, almost as if it was stylised to be perfect. Tsuna felt mildly cheated by how idealised this boy was, compared to him.

The boy reached up, his hand coming to sweep Tsuna’s fringe away gently to make him look at his saviour.

The sudden contact rocked the Sky, another embarrassing sound finding its way out of his mouth when he felt himself shift on the other’s thigh, the friction setting off unwanted responses.

Oh God, please don’t let him feel that!

“H-huh?” He managed to ask, somehow keeping any other noises from leaving him.

The black haired boy raised an eyebrow before, thankfully, brushing his yelp off, instead asking him if he could exit the pool with his own strength.

At his negative, the boy began to manoeuvre him up and out of the pool, supporting him onto the wall. Tsuna watched as the boy placed his palms down on the edge of the pool, before pulling his body out of the liquid fluidly.

His eyes widened as more and more of the boy came out, showing Tsuna that he was bigger than he had first thought. Tsuna watched as the muscles in his arms rippled as they worked to support his weight, lifting him up and out of the water with ease.

The tanned boy gave a sigh before standing to his full height, looking over his shoulder as his hands wiped the majority of the water off his arms and rang out the base of his shirt, liquid splashing in the ground by his feet where Tsuna sat, looking up at the looming figure which obscured the sun.

“See, he’s fine!” The Sky heard his peer yell, making his eye widen slightly.

He was fine. Someone had come. The boy had come to help him.

Tsuna suddenly tensed, a faint ringing of alarms going off in the back of his head as the boy let out a feral growl.

The black haired boy suddenly lashed out, rough hands circling his small forearm and hoisting the Sky to his feet with ease. 

The fluffy-haired boy gave a squeak as he was dragged across the distance between the two parties, his eyes pinned to the broad back of the boy.

As they came to a stop, Tsuna made to hide behind the wet boy, his hands grasping the moist shirt as he hid from his assailants.

“You absolute  _ idiots _ !” His saviour roared, Tsuna feeling the vibrations in his fingers.

The Decimo listened to his lecture, realising that, yes, he could have very well just have died if not for the taller boy coming to his aid. He felt the muscles under his fingers elongate as the boy straightened, looming over the group further and dwarfing the little Sky behind him.

“Now.” He growled again, the hand that still clutched Tsuna tightening before yanking him around front.

Tsuna felt his hands slam down on his shoulders, either to stop him from running away or to show him that he was right behind.

“Apologise. Immediately.” 

He watched in amazement as the proud group crumbled under the older boy’s glare, making them hang their heads and mutter apologies to him. They fleed upon the boy’s order, scampering off in a similar manner to how he usually did after being told off by a teacher for ‘disturbing the class’.

“Thank you…” Tsuna whispered, successfully keeping awe out of his voice.

The older boy looked down on him, the angle he was at making his shoulders broader and his face more sinister. He seemed to be contemplating something as he stared, Tsuna breaking out into a cold sweat as the silence went on for longer.

“Jesus Christ, you are short.”

Ouch, he thought, recoiling into himself as his face flushed from the jab at his height.

“Sorry, that came out wrong.” The boy quickly amended, bending to be at his level, further embarrassing the Sky.

“Hey, you sure you’re alright? I mean, that was quite the experience you just had.” He asked, placing a rough hand on Tsuna’s shoulder.

The Decimo glanced up at him, tensing when he noticed how close their faces were, before stuttering out a positive, trailing off when he realised he didn’t know his saviour’s name.

“Ah, sorry, I’m Yamaguchi Daiki.” He introduced, nodding his head with a barely existent smile. More of a twitch of the cheek.

“I’m Sawada Tsunayoshi.” 

They remained silent for a moment, neither really having anything to say, before Yamaguchi stood up and suggested locating his mother. Tsuna let himself be led to his mother, the boy’s large hand spreading across his back to guide him forwards.

“Kaa-san!” He called, running to his mother when he was a reasonable distance away.

Tsuna conjured up a half-truth for his mother, not wanting her to be worried and happily let her hug him, enjoying her warmth.

Please don’t say anything, he thought glancing over to Yamaguchi to find him frowning slightly.

“Daiki-kun, this is Nana-chan, a friend of mine. Say hello.” 

Tsuna turned from his mother to look at the other two around, surprise clear on his face when he saw the baker lady wrap her arm around Yamaguchi and draw him close.

“Hello Sawada-san, pleasure to meet you.” He bowed, posture perfect for the level of politeness expected for such a greeting.

Tsuna jumped as he was suddenly waved off, his mother dismissing him to the pool as she and her friend continued to discuss cooking tips and book recommendations. He fidgeted next to the older boy, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with him now that the confusion of the situation had been drained.

Yamaguchi spared him a glance before turning and walking away, dropping straight into the pool and kicking off.

Tsuna let out a relieved breath as the seamless boy left, the prickling feeling disappearing with him. He didn’t know why, but the boy scared him-but then again, everything scared him. Somehow, though, the instinctual prickling felt almost nice, a pleasant burn almost. Just barely painful, but bearable enough to be enjoyable. It was like a constant pressure, always reminding you he was around. Tsuna didn’t mind it all that much, he wouldn’t mind feeling the faint sting again really. But the boy had left, so he doubt he would get to-

_ “Oomph!” _

He had been walking? Apparently so.

Tsuna groaned as he pushed himself from the concrete, thankfully not getting any scratches or scrapes. 

“You have fallen.” 

Tsuna turned sharply to the water, his red face going a darker shade when he made eye contact with Yamaguchi.

“Y-yeah…uh..um.”

C’mon Tsuna, you can do better than that! Talk!

“Is there something you wanted, Sawada-san?” He asked, his tone became more clipped as he went, eyes narrowing slightly.

The Sky tried to get the older boy to call him by his nickname, the formality of the title feeling foreign and weird. Yamaguchi, however, seemed to be having none of it and merely cut him off and restated his previous question.

“I-I was…Can we...”

Get it out Tsuna!

“Will you…” The boy before him raised an eyebrow, his lip pulling into a mild scowl.

He’s scary! 

“Can I play with you?” The Decimo finally managed, shifting his attention to his hands when he felt the boy’s sharp eyes burn into his forehead.

“You can’t swim.”

Tsuna flinched back, the familiar burn of a blush growing on his face.

Yamaguchi was smart, much smarter than Tsuna, being able to rebut and explain his arguments easily with information the Sky had no idea how he could come by. With his attempts successfully cowed, the little boy began his retreat, backing away from the older slowly as if not to startle a wild animal.

“I could…try and teach you. If you wanted.”

For a moment, a flash of fear stabbed his mind. Getting into the water was dangerous. He could die, drown in the pool and only be found much later.

But…Yamaguchi-san will be there with me…so…

“Really?” The Sky asked hesitantly, leaning forwards.

“Yeah. Sure. Go to the shallow end, I’ll meet you there.” He grunted, his eyes falling to the side before he spun and swam off.

Tsuna jumped up, quickly walking around the perimeter of the pool, only stumbling once. The sky reached the ramp at the front of the pool, adamantly ignoring the sideways glances sent to him by his peers, and watched as Yamaguchi broke the surface and began to walk to him through the water.

“Okay, firstly, do you have any experience whatsoever with swimming? Other than that little spill from before.”

Tsuna glanced to the group off the left for a split second before giving a negative, moving forwards hesitantly when he saw Yamaguchi gesture for an approach.

He didn’t know what it was, he didn’t know why it happened, but there was a sudden pull. A sharp tug that originated below his sternum that yanked him forwards and made him lose his footing in the ever moving liquid. His sentence was cut short as he stumbled, no longer caring about the airborne foot and instead relying on his only grounded one as the downward slope kept him moving forwards. The brunette’s mind suddenly came to a screeching halt along with the rest of his body as his face met a solid resistance.

Oh God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. 

Tsuna stared at the black of the boy’s wet shirt as his body became as stiff as a rod, fear growing as the boy’s shoulders slowly rose.

Yamaguchi let out a loud sigh, making Tsuna’s eyes shoot up alone. The sky saw the baker’s son scanning the water, looking for something, only to not find it.

“…Moving on, then.” He breathed, stepping away from him.

Tsuna felt cold for a moment, the boy’s warmth preferred over his own chilled temperature. He glanced up when a loud cough sounded, Yamaguchi calling his attention.

The older boy held his hand out quietly, his face still guarded, and waited patiently for the Sky to take hold. Tsuna looked at the offered appendage for a few seconds, before slowly slipping his small hand and allowed it to be all but swallowed by Yamaguchi’s as his closed around the Sky’s.

Tsuna walked further into the water, focus on the boy’s hands rather than the slowly rising level as it slipped over the waistband of his light blue trunks. The Decimo gulped loudly as the water lapped at his navel, the two boys moving further before stopping at a depth upon the elder’s short order.

“Now, we’ll stay here, where you can stand.” Yamaguchi stated, the water at his waist and at Tsuna’s elbows.

“O-okay.”

“So, Sawada-san, you know how to hold your breath, right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, eyes turning from the surface to the elder.

“Okay, here, take these for a while.” Yamaguchi reached up and removed his goggles, moving and slipping them over the smaller boy’s head, adjusting the straps to fit the smaller head.

“That feel comfortable?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, we’re going to get you used to the water real quick, okay?” The black, wet shirt clad boy prompted, recollecting Tsuna’s hands and moving them through the water.

“Uh, how?” Tsuna asked, his voice reaching a pitch in suspicion.

“You’re going to duck under the water while holding your breath, that’ll be your first exercise.” He answered, not mentioning the change of expression.

Tsuna suddenly found himself regretting deciding to do this, before an idea came to mind.

“C-can you do it with me?” He asked, tucking his chin into his chest instinctively.

The older boy’s face remained still, a flicker of emotion flashing across his eyes for less than a second, before he nodded.

“Sure, together then. On the count of three, Sawada-san.” The baker’s son decided, looking straight at the younger of the duo.

“Three.”

Tsuna copied the boy in bending his knees slightly, keeping his eyes on the slowly encroaching water line.

“Two.” The Decimo tightened his grip on Yamaguchi’s hands slightly.

“One.” Both boys took a breath of air and dropped under the water, neither dragging the other down but falling together.

Tsuna clenched his eyes shut, fearing the sting and blur of chlorine, before the tug of the straps reminded him of the goggles Yamaguchi had given him. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, brown pools taking in the underwater space safely.

The Sky glanced around, a pair of friends racing in the far lanes, children playing tip a little ways away, siblings swimming around their parents. 

Looking to the front, Tsuna’s eyes came to a halt, taking in the sight before him. Yamaguchi was crouched in front of him, the boy’s larger size making him have to go lower to remain submerged. His loose hair shifted with the current, and his eyes were opened slightly. Unlike Tsuna, the baker’s son’s cheeks weren’t puffed out, leaving his face relaxed and loose. 

He looked so at ease in the water, happy to drift with the tide and go with the flow. Tsuna thought he looked much less scary when he was like this, calm and pleasant.

The younger of the two looked down at their hands, still connected through the water. They were still as cold as when they had first grabbed him, but were more of a signal now, like a beacon. They were a soothing cold against the now room temperature water, telling the young Vongola that the older boy had not let go of him and had kept his word to support him.

Tsuna wanted to remain under the surface for longer, but as soon as the burn in his lungs became known he tightened his grip on the other boy, alerting him of the Sky’s limit and they ascended quickly.

The Sky watched as the other boy’s face scrunched up, his brow frowning as he cleared his orifice of water. He pinched his nose before taking his hand away, turning to face Tsuna as he ran his hand through his hair to pin back his fringe.

“You good there, kid?” Yamaguchi asked, one hand still linked with the Decimo’s.

“Yeah.” He nodded, not taking his eyes off the older.

“Not too bad, was it?”

“No.”

The older boy’s cheek twitched again, a sign that showed he was trying to smile, before nodding.

“Okay, now you’re used to the water and know what do when you go under, we’re gonna get you used to kicking.” He said, linking both hands again.

“Uh huh.” Tsuna nodded, readily squeezing the reconnected hand.

“Now, lean forwards. The human body is especially buoyant when surface area is maximised through –ah...” He trailed off, obviously seeing the child’s panicked expression as the lecture began to over his 10 year old head.

“Sorry, got carried away.” Yamaguchi grunted, glancing off to the side before returning his gaze to the still standing Sky.

“What I mean is: you won’t sink as long as you move. When you lean forwards, you give the water more space to ‘grab onto’, for a lack of better terms.” He tried again, this time getting the message across a bit more clearly.

Tsuna nodded slowly when prompted again, tightening his grip on the boy’s hands as he let his body fall forwards, arching his back to keep his head above the water.

“Good, good. Now, I want you to kick your legs. See, your body is starting to straighten out.”

Tsuna glanced over his shoulder in awe as he began to see the small ripples begin to become splashes as his feet broke the surface.

He had done it! The Dame had done something!

“Okay, we’re going to start moving.” Yamaguchi stated, taking a step backwards, pausing when Tsuna’s rhythm shuddered and he let out a squeak.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let go. We’re just going to go in a little circle, okay?”

The Sky nodded, his brow smoothing out as he actively tried to calm himself. 

The baker’s son nodded back to him, taking another step back, this time not met with resistance. Slowly, Yamaguchi began to walk at a steady pace, helping Tsuna through the water as he kicked, pointing his toes after being corrected.

“O-okay, I think I’ve got it.” The young Vongola breathed, giving a few more kicks before stopping at the elder’s order.

“Okay, now you’re going to use your arms. I can’t hold your hands when you put this into effect, but I will hold onto your waist.” He said, making the little tuna feel a wave of dread hit him.

“Do not fear, we’ll get you used to the motion first.” 

Tsuna gave a small, hesitant nod, subconsciously tightening his grip on his instructor’s hands as Yamaguchi made him raise his right and arc it over the water in a circular motion before having the left follow.

“Okay, so you’re going to keep this movement going steady. Right, left, right, left.” He said, letting the younger boy do most of the work.

“Well done, Sawada-san. Ready to put it all together?” He asked, loosening his hold on Tsuna’s hands.

No! Tsuna thought, his moment of panic making his hands clench around the other boy’s before they completely parted.

Brown eyes widened when he realised what he did, his gaze slowly trailing up to meet the elder’s own wide eyes. 

Yamaguchi’s face had shifted ever so slightly, the slight elevation of the eyelids and eyebrows enough to show the surprise in response to the sudden surge of action from the young dame. It was enough to show Yamaguchi’s surprise, and definitely enough to cause Tsuna to release his hands as if burned, bringing his arms to his chest as he lowered his head and watched the older boy carefully.

To Tsuna’s great relief, the baker’s son seemed to decide to dismiss the action, instead moving to reassure the young Vongola that he was not going to let him drown.

“I’ll keep my hands near you, don’t worry, I’m righ-” 

Tsuna looked up from his bend, wondering why the boy had stopped. 

Yamaguchi was looking off to the side, his once guarded face twisted into a scowl, his teeth bared and his eyes narrowed. He seemed to be having an internal debate, his eyes glancing back and forth across the shifting surface, before he relaxed, but didn’t feel the same to the young Vongola.

“Is something wrong, Yamaguchi-san?” Tsuna asked, straightening slightly.

“No, nothing worth mentioning. Continue.” His tone was clipped again, and as his arms moved to encircle the tuna’s waist, they moved roughly.

“Remember, arms and legs at once.”

Tsuna nodded before leaning forwards, he started unsurely at first, his brain trying to coordinate four different limbs at once in foreign actions. 

“Breath, Sawada-san. Come up for breath after every third stroke or so.” Yamaguchi reminded, tapping the Sky’s hip when he estimated his breath expiration.

This continued for a few minutes, Tsuna becoming more and more used to the action of swimming, he feeling of the older boy’s hands reminding him that he was safe.

“Okay, well done, you can do freestyle swimming. Let’s take a break.” Yamaguchi ordered, planting his hands on Tsuna’s waist to stop the boy from continuing as his arms began to tire.

“O-okay, Yamaguchi-san.” He breathed, clearing his nose.

“Just real quick, I’m going to teach you how to starfish float. It is really simple and uses minimal effort on your part.” The older boy said, drawing the boy towards him.

“Now, just like before, you’re going to fall. But this time, onto your back. Bring your legs up and lay out like a star.” He instructed, bending to scoop up Tsuna’s legs when he did as ordered.

“Great. So free style and star float, you can do those now. Better than this morning, that’s for sure.”

A warmth spread in Tsuna’s chest as a smile began to pull at his lips, enjoying the praise he was receiving from his instructor.

“Thanks, Yamaguchi-san.” He said, turning to the now also floating boy.

For a split second, Tsuna swore he saw a smile flicker across the baker’s son’s face, but as soon as it was there, it was gone.

“Don’t mention it, little fish.” 

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

Really.

Don’t.

* * *

 

**_11,980 words!_ ** **Holy shit! I’m so proud of myself!**

**And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have Tsuna the Flaming Fish! It was hard to write Tsuna, I will admit. Like,** **_really_ ** **hard. But I got through it! I somehow managed to write the Little Fish! Now, how** **_well_ ** **I wrote him, now that’s up for debate, but none the less, it is done. So yay!**


	6. Chapter 6

 

**The best way to start the day is with a piece of bread, so here. Take my little bun called Daiki.**

* * *

 

**Word Count:  8595**

* * *

 

I let out a long sigh as I dropped onto my bed, leaning my elbows on my knees as I leant over them, my towel around my neck to catch the droplets from my newly washed hair. Pinching my nightshirt to air out the wet patches, I grabbed my binder from under my sheets and tucked it in a small box, closing it and kicking the cardboard secret under my bed.

Mephisto stuck his head from beneath the sheets, having apparently taken a nap on my bed while mother and I were gone. Something he wasn’t meant to do.

I hate having animal hair in my bed. It’s horrendous.

“You aren’t allowed to do that, Miphy.” I muttered, reaching out and letting the little dog gently knar at my hand.

He gave a gruff snort before dragging my hand under the sheets with him, making me smile slightly at the little black nose that peaked out of the covers.

“Daiki-kun, dinner’s ready!”

I looked up from the pup and called back an affirmative, standing from my bed and walking out of my room, Mephisto hanging off my arm, refusing to release my hand.

Padding down the stairs, I joined my mother in the kitchen, curry and rice ready on the table.

“Looks great, thanks kaa-san.” I smiled, wrestling my hand out of the pup’s teeth, sterilising the limb in the sink immediately afterwards.

“So, Daiki-kun.” 

I looked up from my half eaten plate when Kaede called for my attention, spoon hanging from my mouth.

“How do you like Tsuna-kun? He’s nice, isn’t he?” She asked, sipping on her water with a pleasant smile. 

“Sure.” I muttered, not wanting to talk about the flaming fish.

“You and him seem to get along quite well, Nana-chan and I were watching you teach him to swim today!” 

I coiled further into myself, my expression darkening as she continued.

“I guess it looked that way, didn’t it?” Poking a chunk of meat with my spoon, I gave short, murmured responses to her cooing. 

“What’s wrong Daiki-kun, do you not like Tsuna-kun all that much?”

Ah, she finally caught on.

“Not really, he’s a bit…yeah.” I trailed off, not really finding a way to explain what I meant other than ‘no sympathy for the idiot’.

“Oh, that’s a shame. Nana-chan got really excited about Tsuna-kun’s first friend.”

Oh God, please no.

“Maybe she’s exaggerating, kids don’t not have friends, kaa-san. She could have meant something along the lines of, first older friend.” I lied, BS-ing all the way.

“True, she could have meant that! Oh Daiki-kun, always so smart!”

Kaede and I traded smiles before I went back to eating, she herself raising from the table to place her dishes in the sink.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she began to wander around, opening and closing drawers and rummaging through her bag, becoming more and more erratic as she did.

“Where is it? Where is it?  _ Where is it?! _ ” Her shrill voice cut through the once content atmosphere, sending me on high alert.

“Where’s what, kaa-san?” I asked, placing my spoon down and standing to go to her side.

“Your father’s picture! I had it with me this morning! No, I can’t lose it! I can’t lose it! I can’t lose him! No!”

I gently raised my hand, letting my fingers brush her arm as a sign of comfort. When that didn’t work, I began to move around the house, checking under furniture and other things in case it had fallen.

Mother kept two pictures on her at all times, in her pocket, bag or bra, depending on the storage given to her. The first picture was of me, seven years old, soccer ball tucked under my arm and my knees stained with chlorophyll and dirt. The second picture was of my father, Yamada, standing in front of the bakery along with a ‘grand opening’ sticker on the window.

I don’t know why she keeps the photo of the man who only gave her heart break, and I guess I never will. Sometimes, she’ll refer to him as ‘my husband’ still, making the person she’s talking to pause and the atmosphere shift to either confused or awkward.

“Daiki-kun, Daiki-kun! I think I know where I left it! Oh dear, I left it at the pool! Oh no! Oh no!  _ Oh no!”  _ She wailed, drawing in on herself, slowly falling onto the couch.

I stood quietly in front of her as her breathing became stuttered and shallow, her shoulders shaking along with her hands.

My steps were swift and measured as they carried me up the stairs and into my room, all the way to my bedside table. 

I looked down at the little black box sitting on the wooden surface, thinking over the pros and cons of taking the weapons with me into the night, before unclasping the claws that held the box shut, taking out the two mirroring pieces of metal.

I weighed them in my hand, the other rummaging through my drawer, until I found another piece of cool metal amongst my socks, chucked in there during a clean-up due to sheer laziness.

Withdrawing my hand, I watched as each link of a moderately thick, silver chain rose from the mess, a belt hook on one end and a clip on the other. It was relatively short, enough so that it was at least three inches above mid-thigh when I clipped it to my pants, looping it through a finger hole of each brass knuckle, letting them clink together when they met on the chain, before tucking them into my pocket.

Closing the box, I turned and padded back down the stairs, my face still set into a firm mask of blankness.

“Mephistopheles, come.” 

Striding past his resting place, I reached up and grabbed my coat, a little 5 embroiled in red on the chest above a neat little ‘no.’ Running my hand through a drawer, I wrapped my hands around a flashlight, clicking it experimentally.

Yep. It works.

My poor retinas.

Moving towards the door, I grabbed my shoes and pulled them on, Mephisto sitting quietly by the door as he waited for the next order.

“I’ll be back in a bit, kaa-san. Don’t worry.” I called, walking out of the house and into the dark.

“Mephistopheles, aquatic centre.” I muttered to my companion, letting him take the lead.

As we approached the gates, I glanced down at the lock fixing them shut.

Letting the beam of light glance across the interlocking pattern of the fence, I tested the strength before nodding.

I could scale this.

“Remain here.” I breathed, tapping my foot to indicate the spot.

The tapping of nails and a soft gruff told me he had followed the instruction, allowing for me to scale the fence without worry.

I gave barely a grunt as I landed heavily on the other side, crouching slightly to lessen the impact. Standing from my kneel, I began to scan the ground near the spot we had sat, the little beam of light not really helping me as it dimmed further as time passed.

“It’s not here, did she walk about or something?” I muttered, tapping my foot as I stared at the clear floor.

Perking up as the idea of searching the female bathroom came to mind, I turned pushed the door open, surprised but thankful that it was left unlocked.

Trailing the faint light over the surfaces, I checked around the stalls, finding a numerous hair-ties, but no photo.

Giving a sigh, I began to approach the door, placing my hand on it, before pausing. 

I leaned closer to the wooden structure as faint murmurs whisped through the door, the sound of shoes clapping against the concrete of the ground.

It was a lone man, his voice deep and stern. From the sounds of it, he had something with him, heavy and metallic, something with moving parts that were loose.

A small frown found its way to my face as he spoke to seemingly no one in a language I couldn’t understand. 

“ _ Non sono riuscito. _ ” Came his rough voice, a fair distance away, perhaps nearer to the pool than I.

It took a moment for the language to click, almost making me kick myself when I recognised it. 

Italian! KHR, you dimwit!

What’s an Italian doing here? 

I held my breath as he began to speak faster, an almost pleading tone replacing his once solemn one. 

_ “I’m sorry, Boss. But don’t worry, I’ll find a way to deal with the kid, I promise! Just give me a couple more hours, the brat will be gone by sunrise! I swear it!” _

The sudden jump to English was jarring, taking me a moment for my brain to click with the words. I leant more forwards at this new information, so a Mafioso was in Namimori and he was after a kid. I personally put my money on the Vongola.

_ “Yes boss, I swear. By morning, the Vongola will be short another heir.” _

Bingo.

Wait.

Fuck.

There’s a Mafioso in front of me. Shit.

If I’m found, I’m dead.

Tsuna’s gonna be dead in a sec too - well at least by sunrise.

_ “Yeah, I got a backup plan. While watching him, I saw his mother talking to a lady. Apparently, they’re close, I could use her as leverage if it turns ugly.” _

I paused.

Excuse me?

_ “Yeah, yeah! Yamaguchi or something!” _

…

Oh.

Oh dear.

I jolted when Mephisto’s familiar bark rung through the air, the family name catching his attention faster than any ball would.

A stream of Italian curses left the man, followed the by Mephisto’s sudden silence.

No.

A small smile of nervousness flickered across my face as I let my fingers glance over the cool metal of the brass hanging on my hip.

Had to use these sooner than I thought I would.

Carefully, I unclipped the chain, removing the two pieces of brass from it soundlessly as possible. Taking a deep breath, I settled the torch on the tiled floor and slid my fingers through the holes, the smaller design fitting my childish fingers well.

Slowly, I exited the bathroom, fists clenched and footsteps light. Gently closing the door behind me, I crept along the shadowed part of the building, keeping my eyes trained on the tall, lithe man glaring at his phone as he typed away furiously on the keypad.

Taking his lack of response as reassurance that I hadn’t been detected, I began to slowly step up behind him, keeping my body low and eyes high. 

He gave a few more curses before stuffing his phone away, sniffing loudly when he looked back up. He took a step forwards having done what he had come here for and was ready to leave.

_ “Aw, leaving without even saying ‘hey’? No manners, really.” _

What the hell?! Daiki, what the fuck are you doing!?

I lunged forwards when he lurched to a stop, my English call taking him off guard and giving me a slight advantage.

Packing as much strength as I could into my arm, I landed my fist into the tall man’s jaw, the metal on my fists biting into his skin and tearing it away from the bone. Gritting my teeth at the feeling of bone grinding against my brass reverberated through my arm, making me want to cringe away. 

“ _ What the fu- _ ”

I gave a grunt as I swung my brass into his mouth, eyes widening as teeth gave and blood began to coat my hands. Taking a step back, I repositioned myself into a sloppy, basic stance, breathing hard and keeping my eyes on the bending man, looking away from my itching fists. 

The man’s once white collar was now blooming red as his blood dripped down his face, his cheek bone, jaw and mouth ripped open by force. 

Despite the sheer amount of blood, a small part of me supplied a piece of information that set me back on guard.

Careful, the head tends to bleed a lot, so the injury itself may actually be quite minor. Remember that time you split your brow on the chair in year 6? You didn’t feel a thing, you walked home, dripping blood on the pathway, only feeling a little dizzy. It could be the same. 

Make sure it isn’t.

“Yeah, I can do that.” I muttered to myself, watching as the man began to stumble to his feet.

Keep going for the sensitive spots, nose, throat, temples, teeth - if there are any left.

Moving forwards, I sent my fist forwards in a sharp jab, missing his face, but scrapping his cheek-bones and tearing up his ear. With wide eyes, I did the only thing I could next be capable of pulling off in close proximity. I brought my back leg up, the one I had pushed off, and slammed my knee into his gut, before packing as much power into my quads to bring my heel down into his foot, memories of rape seminars and self-protection classes coming back in a time of need.

I guess being a girl in modern society comes with its advantages.

I gritted my teeth as I felt his metatarsals and phalanges give out under the force, the man giving out a shriek of justified pain. 

I let out a gasp when the arm I hand swung was grabbed in a bruising grip, his fingers digging into my skin. He yanked me off his foot, roaring as I was swung before another hand lashed out and a low crunch and snap filled my ears.

Ow.

_ “Oooh, that  _ _ really _ _ hurt.” _ I chuckled, my eyes wide with pain, tears pricking the corners.

Don’t laugh Daiki, your laugh is obnoxious.

Shut up, my laugh is adorable.

You’re trying to ignore the pain by talking to yourself aren’t you?

“Yes, yes I am.” I cooed, a grin stretching across my face as another wave of pain racked me.

“This hurts a lot more than a sprained ankle.” I muttered, taking a deep breath, before yanking my arm out of his loosened grip.

“ _What kind of_ _fucked_ _up_ _kid are you?_ ” 

A fabulous one.

Stay focused, Daiki.

I bit the inside of my cheek and used the momentum of my spin to bury my foot into his stomach, making him double over again, before letting my good arm fly and my brass biting into his crown with as much force as my adrenalin pumped body could manage.

The hitman grabbed me again, this time his nails cutting into my shoulders as he tried to throw me, only for my leg to snap out and my foot to slam into his good leg’s patella, forcing the knee to bend backwards as another snap and crunch rang through the air. He let go of me instantly, his body crumpling to the floor with both legs out of commission, giving me the advantage of both mobility and height.

I gave a yelp as my leg was pulled from under me, the hitman pulling me down to his level and scrambling on top of me, his hands coming to grip my throat painfully. 

He let out a stream of slurred, Italian swears, blood falling from his mouth and onto my scrunched up face, just as disgusting as his vocabulary. One hand left my throat to rear back and collide with my face, dazing me for a moment, before another came and rattled me back to my senses.

For a split second, either time slowed down, or my mind sped up, and I suddenly became aware of how narrow my vision was, the world around the hitman almost muted to me as the main threat was on top of me. In an instant, I tilted my head back, and opened my eyes further.

I was at a pool, in Namimori.

This is Namimori, my home.

My domain.

This man was an outsider, attacking a local.

“ _ Now, that’s a no-no. _ ” I muttered, my voice strained.

I was at a pool, let’s start with that.

Giving a grunt, I latched onto his wrists with a bruising grip, years of lifting and moving finally paying off as his hands slowly parted from my throat and I threw him from me, air rushing back into my body to fill the void.

I scrambled to my feet and harshly kicked the man off the land and into the shallows of the pool, cold water making the man freeze up, giving me enough time to sit on top of him, forcing his face into the water and his leg to double over the wrong way.

I locked my left arm’s elbow, the other hanging at my side, pinning the man’s arms to his sides with my legs. Tightening my grip as he writhed, I gave a hiss when he managed to wrestle an arm free, my arm abandoning his head to grab his wrist.

I mentally ordered myself to act fast as I shifted my weight, allowing my open leg to catch his elbow and my arm to pull, rendering his left arm broken as his elbow crunched and tendons tore.

When I heard him gasp, I brought his arm back, pinning it while doubled over wrong, and slammed his head back into the water, squeezing my thighs to further bend his am when he thrashed too much.

I don’t know how long I held him there, or how much longer I sat in the shallows on a cooling body, scared he would jump up if I so much as gave any sign of relinquishing my hold. By the time I felt remotely safe, I was shivering and tips of my fingers were going blue and stiff. 

“Gotta make sure.” I whispered shakily, rearing his head back, before ramming it down on the tiled floor of the pool.

“He could get back up.”

There was blood now.

“He could come after kaa-san.”

My hand were starting to get more red.

“He could come after me.”

My hand sat in the mass of bone and flesh, the water doing nothing to clean my skin in the red that soaked my small hands.

“Heh, I’d shame to wear a heart so white.” I muttered, quoting the Shakespearian play half-heartedly.

Slowly, I shuffled off his headless body, my legs stiff and shaky as adrenalin slowly ebbed away from my bloodstream.

I dropped down beside the fence, leaning against the chains as I let my breathing slow, taking long, deep inhalation as the pain from my arm became known.

A sudden bark to my right made me glance over to it, too drained to jump anymore. 

Mephisto paced back and forth on the other side of the fence, small whimpers and whines sounding from his muzzle as he brushed against me through the diamond links.

Slowly, I raised my bloody hand, staining his white muzzle red with gore as I let him lick my hands of my act.

“Good boy, thank you for not abandoning me.” I breathed, slumping further into his warmth.

Taking a deep breath, I painstakingly squared my shoulders and straightened my back, making my eyes harsh and my voice strong, knowing he wouldn’t obey someone weaker than him.

“Mephistopheles, bring the Cloud to me. Immediately.” I ordered, drawing my hand back from his rough tongue.

The white pup gave an affirmative bark before bounding away into the night, off to collect the newly instated disciplinary committee head.

With no-one around, canine or otherwise, I turned my attention to the throbbing in my right arm. 

“What is that, a 250 degree angle?” I muttered, a moment of dumbness surfacing as I bothered to try and calculate the angle of my break, slumping against the links.

“Oh God, how am I gonna explain this to Kaa-san, let alone the hospital. Maybe I’ll get Sora-chan again, I haven’t seen her since I split my head.” I laughed awkwardly, remembering the young, volunteer nurse who talked to me whenever she came to my room.

A sudden warmth made me jump, my eyes snapping down to my arm in alarm. 

Taking a deep breath, I forced my Flames to stop their auto repair of my arm, sirens going off as information came crashing into my head with disconcerting speed.

Sun Flames can speed up the mitosis process, repairing the damaged cells faster than humanly possible, however, repaired cells does not equal straight bones. They must be set manually before mitosis can be begun in order to achieve complete restoration.

Thanks brain.

No prob, me.

And I’m talking to myself again.

I let out a loud sigh as I mentally prepared myself, reaching over with my left to clasp the break in my humerus. Wrapping my hand around the break, I took in a deep breath, before clenching my hand, giving a short shout as the bone snapped back into position, the two breaks slipping against each other. 

I slammed the back of my head against the links behind me and I scrunched up my face, baring my teeth to the inky sky as the pain ebbed away, gentle wisps of Flames licking the walls of my mind, asking permission this time if they could exit their home in the black room. 

Deepening my breath, I let them trickle out at a controlled pace, exercising my concentration as I tried to lead the Flames through their purpose. Recreate the marrow and the bone, nit the muscle back together, keep the scar tissue to the absolute minimum, clot the blood, restore the skin, the melanin doesn’t need to be perfect.

The process took me a while, leaving me barely enough fuel in my tank to check the remains of the damage. Wasn’t too bad for my first time, the skin surrounding the area was slightly red, and the pigment was off, leaving what could be passed off as a growth spurt mark. 

I let out a sigh and wrestled my brass knuckles off my sticky fingers, dropping them beside me with two distinct _‘_ clank’s. I blew into my gory palms and began rubbing them together to help them gain feeling, my Flames coming to stoke in my belly, warming my body from the inside.

“Chattering Herbivore.” 

“Goodnight, Hibari-san. Congratulations on becoming the committee head, you suit the role.” I breathed, glancing up at the standing Cloud, Mephisto trotting out from behind him.

“You fought.”

“I killed.”

We stayed in a stale silence, neither really knowing what to say. We were both used to my useless rambling filling the gaps between mutual conversation, but with me being so drained, that was out of the question.

“My apologies, Hibari-san, but I had heard through the bitter part of the grapevine that you dealt with this sort of business, or at the very least, knew how and who did.” I said, gesturing to the floating body with a half-hearted wave.

The skylark glanced at the bloody and bruised corpse with a look of apathy, his lip turning down slightly.

“You are right, I do.” He hummed, crossing his arms, free from his new uniform jacket.

“Can you possibly handle the situation, I am less versed in the way of disposing of a body, I must admit.” I sighed, finding the constant need to reiterate my desire a tad bit on the awkward side.

“You owe me a favour, Chattering Herbivore.” He grunted, pulling a phone out of his pocket and dialling a number.

“I’ll be going to Nami-chuu next year, so you’ll have plenty of time to collect.” I smiled, letting Mephisto nudge me to my feet.

“Hm, good.” Was all he said, before turning and talking into his phone quietly.

**...**

I never did find that photo.

* * *

 

“Hey, Hibari-san.” I called, looking up at the tree branch where the Skylark lazed.

His eyes snapped open and shot down to me, the unspoken threat conveyed easily

“I’m going to be walking around with a weapon from now on, I thought it was best to alert you first.” I said, flashing my brass on my hip.

“Hm.”

“I promise to not engage conflict without a valid reason, and will only to use them as a last resort.” 

We looked at each other for a few more seconds, before he turned over and closed his eyes, letting my walk away without resistance.

* * *

 

Oh God, remind me why I’m doing this again?

I clutched the strap of my duffle bag tighter, watching the door in front of me wearily as I tried to think about what I knew about the people who lived behind it. 

Barely anything. The adults were never mentioned. God damn.

“Okay, cool it, Daiki. It ain’t that hard, just knock.” I breathed, raising a fist.

I rapped my knuckles against the wood of the door, 

“DAIKI-KUN IS EXTREMELY HERE!”

Oh God.

“TO THE EXTREME?! BRING HIM HERE EXTREMELY FAST, SON!”

Oh my frickin’ God.

Save me.

Please. Someone.

I watched in silent fear as the door was flung open with a fearful force, the pale haired Ryohei standing with his legs bent slightly as if ready to jump at me.

He was wearing what I had come to know as his workout clothes, like my own no.5 singlet and black shorts. His plain white singlet already had three significant patches of sweat showing from under his arms and below his chin, red shorts baring scuff marks near the knees.

“Hey Ryohei-kun, how’re you today?” I greeted carefully, eyeing him warily as his muscles twitched randomly, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

“I FEEL GREAT TO THE EXTREME!”

Yep, he’s got his blood pumping already.

I let out a squeak as he all but flung me into the entry hall, slamming the door behind us. The Sun grabbed me by my wrist and took off running, swinging me around corners and through doors, barely missing me by the skin of my teeth.

As we passed the living room, I gave a half-hearted wave and shout to the little Kyoko sitting on the floor with another girl her age, the speed we were travelling at not giving me enough time to reply to her call.

Ryohei continued to tow me down the halls, pulling past his mother in the kitchen who was talking loudly to a friend over the phone. She waved after us as I was thrown out of the back door, just barely saving myself from a snapped neck by rolling gracefully.

Okay, I looked like a bundle of limbs, but I rolled nonetheless.

“SO THIS IS THE EXTREME DAIKI-KUN!”

I shifted from my position of laying face first on the ground, trailing my eyes up an impossibly muscled man who loomed over me, obscuring the sun with his blocky head.

“Hello, Sasagawa-san. How are you on this fine day, this day as fine as a felt tip pen?” 

No, Daiki! You can’t say that!

I turned to Ryohei quietly, pointedly ignoring eye contact with his father who stared down at me quietly.

“So, Ryohei-kun, what am I meant to be doing exactly?” 

The boy brightened up, looking ready to order me on a 10k run, before a heavy hand slammed down on my shoulder, almost knocking me back. 

Spinning around, I ducked under a meaty fist, leaping to the side as another filled the space I once occupied.

“What the-” I started, bringing my arms up to block another punch, my heels digging into the ground.

“Good, you don’t know much, but your body has a natural sense.” Ryohei’s father stated, withdrawing his fist back to his side.

“See! I told you he was good!” The young boy chirped, running up beside me.

“EXTREMELY!” His father roared, rearing back.

“EXTREMELY EXTREME!” Ryohei copied, following the stance.

I stood awkwardly amongst the two extreme males, glancing at each of them as they exchanges screams like a tennis match.

Ryohei was the spitting image of his father, pale hair and bulky build past down from man to man. In this instant, he wore a pair of green shorts, with a plain white shirt clinging to his broad chest.

“U-um, Sasagawa-san-”

“PLEASE, CALL ME RYUU-SENSEI!”

Oh my Lord.

“Okay then, Ryuu-sensei, what am I meant to be doing, exactly.” I asked, trying to get the screaming match to end.

“Well! First, you can EXTREMELY bring those weights over here! One at a time!” He roared, my ears beginning to ring.

“Sure…” I muttered, walking over the far wall, adorned with weights of different sizes.

There were about five different levels of weight, each going up by size, but what I noticed, were that their labels were missing, making me unsure of their actual weight.

I frowned as I tried to figure them out, they looked like they were made of the traditional material, but looks can be deceiving.

Giving a shrug, I decided to go with the safe route, and grab the smallest first. Clutching the cool circles, I lifted them off the wall with ease, leaving them by Ryohei’s feet after making the walk.

“Now the next one!” Ryuu ordered, pointing to the larger wheel.

This one was a bit more heavy, but not by a great amount, allowing me to take it over as I flipped them in their respective hand, trying to find a label.

“Next to the EXTREME!”

I continued this, every time the weight would rise, but nothing I couldn’t handle but the numbers still evaded me.

“Last one, Daiki-kun!” Ryohei hollered from beside his father, sitting on the stack of weights.

For some reason, whenever I came back with another weight, the little man seemed to get more and jittery, his grin spreading further.

These last weights were a shock to my system, the sudden skyrocket of mass almost making me lose my grip on their shiny surface. 

Tightening my fingers and shifting my weight, I began to walk back to the two Sasagawa men, dropping the black circles at their feet with a loud ‘oomph’.

“Uh, Ryuu-sensei, I couldn’t find a label on them, what are their weights?” I asked, straightening as I flexed my fingers.

“The ones you just dropped was 200kg in total.”

Excuse me?

“EXTREME DAIKI-KUN!" Ryohei roared, jumping on me, sending both of us sprawling onto the dirt.

“That can’t be right, I only lift 100 kilograms a day, 150 at most!” I exclaimed, sitting up.

“Don’t doubt yourself, boy! You just lifted 200 EXTREME kilograms!” 

The two males in front of me struck matching poses and let out hearty laughs, before both of them slammed their palms on my back, sending me back into the dirt.

“NOW, LET US GO FOR A 10 KILOMETER RUN!”

“TO THE EXTREME!”

Save me.

* * *

 

I had done it.

I had completed my new year’s resolution with days to spare.

“I. Am. Awesome.” 

I grinned at the mirror as I held the front of my shirt up enough to show my stomach, pride and mild narcissism bubbling in my mind.

“Kaa-san! Hey, kaa-san! Look! Look!” I yelled, running down the stairs and into the bakery.

I jumped through the open door and planted my feet on the wood, flipping the base of my no.5 singlet up when I landed.

“I have abs!” My declaration of success reverberated through the shop, before two different giggles made me freeze.

“Ah, so strong and manly, sweetheart.” 

“Oh, Daiki-kun, well done!”

Slowly, I lowered the material and looked at the cash register for the first time, something I probably should have done in the beginning.

“Ah-hah…haha…Good morning, Sawada-san.” I laughed awkwardly, curling in on myself slightly and wringing the black and red striped trim.

“Good morning, Daiki-kun. Tsuna-kun, say hello.”

My eyes snapped to the tuft of brown that stuck out from behind her skirt, having gone under my radar until that moment. In an instant, all my muscles tensed up, wary chocolate eyes sticking to mine. 

“G-good morning, Yamaguchi-san.”

“Sawada-san.” I nodded tersely, turning my attention to my mother swiftly.

“Kaa-san, has the new order come in? I can sort it for you.”

I needed out of that room. Now.

Kaede suddenly perked up, glancing over her shoulder before nodding to me, a small smile on her face. 

“Yes, actually I was about to call you down for that. The boys put them by the side door, could you put them with the others? Thank you, honey.”

I nodded quickly before all but dashing out of the room, disappearing behind the counter and into the dark storeroom. I slammed the door behind me, dowsing me in blackness, a sliver of light crawling from under the door. Letting out a long sigh, I leaned back against the wood of the door, trying to calm my nerves.   

“Okay, Daiki, cool it. You’ll be fine, helping the kid swim doesn’t make you his go-to-guy.” I scrubbed my face, before roughly raking my hands through my hands, glaring at the concrete floor.

“Get back to work, you’ll be fine. Just get back to work. He’s not important. Back to work. Yeah, back to work. Lift and place. Lift and place.” A long whoosh of breath left me as I stood, pushing off the wall and flicking the light on.

The light buzzed unsurely before flickering to life, taking more time than yesterday. In the far corner, near the exterior door, was a fairly large pile of crates, all having a relatively uniform size to them.

“Lift and place. Lift and place.” I muttered, striding forwards and checking the weight.

72kg each, not too bad.

Wrapping my fingers around an edge, I lifted two boxes off the pile, moving to place them in the area we had reserved for this order. I kept to the same rhythm, chanting my self-imposed orders quietly as I did, keeping my mind off the boy no doubt still on the other side of the door if the sound of chatting was anything to go by.

_ “Go ahead, Tsuna-kun. He won’t mind.” _

The door behind me creaked open slowly, the shadows in the room shifting with the new source invading the room. 

I remained still, staring down at the last four crates as I calculated their weight, the sound of little feet growing closer behind me.

“A-ah, Yamaguchi-san?”

In that moment, I decided that 288kg wasn’t all that heavy and bent my knees. Reaching under the crates, I felt my body strain against the large weight as I lifted, focusing on keeping my breathing regular as I managed to straighten.

Turning carefully, I began to move towards the rest, switching between paced steps to a relatively fast scuttling as the weight began to take its final tole. I let out a relieved groan as I dropped the stack beside its brothers, bending back and cracking my vertebrae before shaking out my arms.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the little fish standing awkwardly where I had left him, glancing around and flinching when the light flickered.

I should fix that.

I walked to the small shelf beside the door, making a wide arc around the Vongola Decimo as I did, before pulling out a hollowed out tissue box and rummaging through. Giving a grunt, I grasped hold of an unused lightbulb holding it up to the unsteady light to check the wire.

“Yama-”

“Is there something you wanted, Sawada-san?” I cut him off, placing the box back before going after the ladder tucked behind another shelf.

“N-no! Nevermind!”

Good. Let’s keep it that way, shall we Little Fish?

I dragged the ladder over to the light, opening it before stabilising it on the floor and clicking the lock in place. Going back to the shelf, I fished around for a torch, finding it faster than the other two items. 

I reached for the switch and cut the lights, my ears opening further when a soft  _ ‘hiiiiee’ _ drifted through the darkness. Letting out a sigh, I clicked the torch on, dowsing Tsuna with the light and making him flinch.

“Calm down, Sawada-san.” I ordered, moving past him and placing the torch between my teeth before ascending the ladder.

As I unscrewed the dodgy light, I listened to the Vongola behind me. He had come closer to me, finding salvation in the dim light offered by the upturned torch in my mouth. 

Why was he here? He didn’t need to show up as many times as he had.

I had been roughly a month since the encounter in the pool, and I had spotted the boy around town, in passing on the way to school, and in the bakery more times than I’d like to admit. These were all obviously chance encounters, but they were rather uncanny.

Not even seeing a trace of him, then suddenly ‘boom! A wild Tsuna appeared!’ every time I turn the corner?

A likely story.

“There we go.” I muttered, tossing the old bulb towards the bin, knowing it had got it in by the sound of the thud that followed.

“U-uh, Yamaguchi-san?” 

Turning my head, I let the flashlight in my mouth illuminate Tsuna below me, raising an eyebrow that I knew he couldn’t see.

“Uh huh?” I huffed, watching as he rubbed his eyes.

“C-can we turn on the lights now? Please?”

I restrained a flinch when the strain in his voice reached my ears, a flash of shame hitting me in the gut. 

Tsuna was scared of the dark, I knew that, and yet I had forced it upon him.

I tightened my grip on the ladder, my teeth clenching around the handle of the flashlight as I glared off into the shadowed corner.

I’m really dumb sometimes.

“Heya, Sawada-san.” I called, removing the light from my mouth and descending the ladder.

“Y-yes!? Yes?” 

Damn it, he’s too jumpy.

Setting my feet on the ground, I slowly reached out towards his dark silhouette, letting the tips of my fingers glance over his hair.

“ _ Hiiee _ !”

“Calm, Little Fish. I am going to hold your hand now.” I grumbled, letting my hand fall down his arm before finding his tiny hand and wrapping my fingers around it slowly.

He was shaking. 

God damn it, Daiki.

I let a frown touch my face before wiping it off quickly, grasping his other hand and sliding the torch into his grasp.

There, now he had control of the light.

“Let’s go turn the light on now, see if the bulb is working.” I breathed, tugging the small boy along as I reached the switch.

“Ah, uh-huh.” He murmured, following without complaint.

I let my hand trail along the wall, feeling for the switch, before flicking it and bathing the room in light.

“Good.” 

Letting go of Tsuna’s hand, I began to pack away the ladder, folding it and sliding the metallic steps behind the shelf. 

“Don’t you need to go home now?” I asked, throwing the bulb’s packaging in the bin.

“A-actually, that’s what I needed to tell you. Ah, ya see, your mum actually invited kaa-san and I to stay for dinner! A-and, Yamaguchi-san t-told me to go and play with you! So…yeah…” He stuttered, eyes snapping around the room, looking anywhere but me.

“Really.” I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I did.

“Well, y-ye-AH!”

_ ‘CRASH!’ _

Oh my God. No. No! I refuse to open my eyes.

I remained still as I heard the little Decimo scramble around, more things falling and something shattering.

“U-uh, Yamaguchi-s-san?” He squeaked after a moment of painful silence.

“How much is broken?” I asked, eyes still closed.

“A-a bit.”

“How much is on the floor?”

“A f-few things.”

“What even caused this?”

“I-I tripped.”

“On what?”

“…My shoelaces.”

Why…

My hand lashed out, fingers pressing bluntly into the little Decimo’s skull.

“ _ Heeiii! _ ”

“Sawada-san, can you please explain to me why you are as clumsy as a baby dear?” I asked, looking at the frozen Vongola through my lashes.

“I’m s-sorry!” He squeaked, his hands on my wrist.

“Little Fish, you are going to help me clean up his room until it looks like it did under my charge. Am I understood?” 

“Yes sir!”

“Good, go find the broom.” I ordered, relinquishing my hold on his skull.

I watched as he scampered off, almost tripping over a pile of boxes, before turning back to the mess on the floor.

“Thank God we don’t have carpet.”  I muttered, putting my hands on my hips as I surveyed the damage.

Most of the boxes had fallen, sacks and bags had burst, and three jars of toffy had shattered, glass splayed across the floor.

“I can’t let him near that, he might hurt himself.” I noted, kicking away a particularly sinister looking shard of glass near my foot.

My sister in my old life had gotten a piece of glass in her foot when we were kids, our feet bare are we wandered around a monastery with our relatives while abroad to our Asian roots. She had screamed up a storm when she saw it, I not really getting what all the fuss was about just sat next to her saying, ‘suck it up, sister’.

I was a terrible child.

In my defence, I was like, seven when that happened.

Shrugging my shoulders, I went out the exterior door and into the shed out back, rummaging through the garden tools and hose extensions until I found a pair of sturdy gardening gloves.

Walking back to the store room, I came upon a rather undesired scene.

“Sawada-san, please stop crying.” I sighed, moving towards the squatting boy.

A small frown came across my face when I saw that he was clutching his hand, cradling the limb to his chest as if it was injured…

Wait.

I glanced over to the shards, a few of them had been shifted to the centre of the mess as if someone had moved them by hand.

Jesus Christ.

“Sawada-san, show me your hand.”

When he didn’t move, I clicked my tongue.

“Now, Sawada-san.” I ordered, waiting for him to place his limb in my offered hand.

Slowly, the small boy uncoiled and draped his hand into mine. 

I gave him a nod, before opening his palm and sighing at the sight. There wasn’t much damage, only a little cut going along the pad of his pointer and thumb. There was a little blood, but nothing a band aid couldn’t handle.

“Okay, let’s go and get you patched up.” I breathed, hoisting him up and out of the store room.

Leading him into the kitchen, I let go of the Decimo’s hand to grab a chair and place it under the medicine cabinet. Stepping up, I stood on my toes and opened the cabinet before rummaging through its contents and fringing the brightly coloured band aids. 

Dropping from the chair, I kicked it back to where it came from, giving a small smirk when it slid almost perfectly back under the table. I opened the packet, flipping through the colours until I found an orange band aid, the reference amusing my simple mind greatly.

“Sawada-san, go wash the cut, make sure to dry your hands afterwards.” I ordered, taking out the foreshadowing piece.

“Okay, Yamaguchi-san.” He nodded, before standing on his toes to try and reach the sink.

I watched as his fingers brushed the taps fruitlessly for another couple seconds, before letting out a sigh and putting the things in my hands down.

Walking towards the small boy, I grabbed him from under his arms and picked him up with a little too much ease. Letting one hand fall, I wrapped it around his waist and pinned him to my chest, before letting the other join its match.

“Now try, Sawada-san.” I sighed, boosting him a bit further up.

“O-okay!” He squeaked, managing to complete his task this time through.

“Ah, I’m done.” Came his whimper, before I lowered dropped him from my grasp and took three large steps back.

“Hold out the cut, please.” I requested as I grasped the band aid from the table.

He did as he was told and I stuck the plaster on, throwing the papers away as he looked at the orange plastic with a little too much intensity.

“Come, we have much to do.” I said, as I snagged him by his wrist and dragged the young Vongola back into the storage.

“Don’t touch the glass, okay. What you did was pretty dumb.” I stated, slipping on my gloves.

“O-oh.” He whimpered, shuffling awkwardly.

“Go over there and sweep up the flour that got on the ground, leave the rest.”

Shooing the little lad away, I collected the shards of glass, disposing of the in the waste bin, before collecting the smaller pieces with a dust pan. Removing my gloves, I began to replace the boxes, lifting them off the floor and stacking them back up with more ease than before.

“Damn, Ryuu-sensei sure knows his stuff.” I muttered, patting my growing muscles appreciatively.

“Ah, Yamaguchi-san? I’ve finished sweeping, I just need to put it in the dust pan.” Came the flaming fish’s call, leading me to hand over the bright yellow equipment. 

I walked past the small child and began to organise the bags, shelving the ones that sustained no damage and keeping the rest ready for repackaging. Peeking out the door, I checked for any of our parents, before ninja-ing my way into the kitchen, grabbing a handful of spare bags, and sprinting back into the store room. 

Once the room was back in order, Tsuna and I dropped to the ground with a sigh.

“Oi, Sawada-san. Let’s not tell our mum’s about this.” I breathed, putting my hand on his head, feeling him nod.

Heh, imagine if he knew about where these hands had been.

* * *

 

“Hibari-san, can we please talk about this? No? Okay then.”

I turned and ran from the Skylark, my class staring after us in muted horror as Ryohei let out a pumped ‘EXTREME!’

Ah, what a way to spend my last day as an elementary school student.

Again.

Sorta. Australia doesn’t have ‘elementary’ schools, they have ‘primary’.

But I digress, today Ryohei and I are graduating from Namimori Elementary, both to go onto Namimori Middle. Which is why the Cloud had decided to kick in my classroom door and attack me, his reasoning being I can’t get a detention on the last day.

Dick.

Lately, Hibari had been more and more aggressive. The event a few months ago sparking something that had caused him to attack and tempt me more often. He obviously wanted a reaction, one I wasn’t willing to give him.

I wasn’t proud of what I did, no matter how the Skylark ‘praised’ the way I kept the peace by eliminating a possible threat. It had been cold, callous and vulgar what I had done. Basic and instinctual, no thought process required.

I shook my head, ducking under another swipe. Dancing around his leg, I poked him in the side, letting out a small smile when a barely auditable grunt escaped him.

The metal on my hip clanked against each other as I fell into a crouch, my hands coming to grab the Skylark by his supporting leg and yank it out from under him.

With Hibari on the dirt, I pounced from my crouch and pinned the boy to the ground, digging my knee into his stomach with merciful force.

“I think I win, Hibari-san.” I smiled, deciding to relish while I could.

“Not until the bite.” He hissed, throwing his head forwards and snapping his teeth at my neck, only for me to arc out of the way in time.

Ah yes, the bite. 

Since I had bitten him to force him into submission all those months ago, the bite had become a sign of victory between us. 

I had been bitten a total of 87 times, Hibari had been bitten 72 times and we had tied 31 times.

Yes, many, many bite-marks. 190 to be exact.

…

That’s kind’a kinky now that I think about it…

Shit.

Giving a toothy grin, I lunged forwards and sank my teeth into his neck, no longer caring about not breaking the skin. 

The skylark beneath me stiffened, before flopping, his grip on his tonfa loosening until they slipped from his grasp and he placed his hands on either side of his head to show he had nothing to use against me.

Carefully, I let go of his shoulder, wiping the saliva that had gathered with my hanky, leaving raw skin behind.

“73 bites, Hibari-san.” I smiled, getting off the older boy before offering my hand.

He gave a grunt, before brushing past me, leaving my hand alone.

Well, ain’t he the rude one.

**...**

“Yes, we’re done to the EXTREME!” Ryohei roared, jumping up and down beside me as we held out certificates in our hands.

The rest of our year were huddled together in random groups, tears and hugs exchanged as those who didn’t feel the need to cry watched awkwardly.

“Elementary, anyway. We’ve got Nami-chuu waiting for us next year.” I smiled, throwing my thumb over my shoulder in the school’s basic direction.

“EXTREME!” 

“Daiki-kun!”

Ryohei and I turned to the call, seeing the familiar face of Takeshi running up to us, breaking off from his class.

“Hey Takeshi-kun, here to see us off are you?” I greeted, accepting the younger boy’s hug.

“Uh huh, congrats Daiki-kun, Sasagawa-senpai.” 

I gave the Rain a squeeze, not liking the slight sharpness that flashed across his eyes when he addressed my other friend.

“Thanks, Yamamoto-san!” 

Good, Ryohei hadn’t picked up on it.

“Hey, have you chosen a middle school yet? You only have a year to go.” I asked, making the boy turn back to me.

“I’m going to Nami-chuu, of course!” He laughed, drawing me closer.

“Cool, just like us!” The pale haired Sasagawa child chirped, leaning forwards.

“Yeah!”

I gave a small laugh and ran my hand through the young boy’s hair, making him whine and try to bat me away with one hand.

“Guess you and I aren’t gonna be able to walk home together anymore, eh, Takeshi-kun. Not for another year, at least.”

There was a moment of silence that passed over the youngest of our trio, before a smile spread across his face.

“Hey, hey, Daiki-kun, lean down for a sec!” He urged, reaching his hands up.

I raised a brow at the sudden request, exchanging a glance with Ryohei, before doing as asked, bending at the waist.

“Okay, now wh- _ MMPH!” _

It took a while, but eventually the whole of the attending party had fallen quiet as more and more people turned their attention to what was happening.

The young Yamamoto pulled away from the lip lock with a loud smack, a grin splitting his face as his arms linked behind my neck.

I remained in a stunned silence as he nuzzled his face into my neck, his breaths brushing against Hibari’s seals of victory.

“Now all the others can’t get to you!” Takeshi smiled, leaning back to look at me.

“Hey, Sasagawa-senpai!” He called to our frozen companion.

“Y-yeah?”

“Daiki-kun’s mine, he’s going to be my husband!” 

Ryohei and I exchanged looks of matching confusion, before Ryohei did the last thing I wanted him to do.

“WHAT AN EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL DECLARATION OF LOVE!”

God damn it.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Word Count:3807**

* * *

 

“And that should be it.” I muttered to myself, crossing my arms.

I stood in front of my mirror, scanning my uniform-clad body, content with what I saw.

I wore the first year boys uniform, black dress pants, white button up shirt, blue tie and dark grey sweater like thing. I had pushed the sleeves of both my sweater and shirt up to my elbows, and had loosened my tie to give it five or so centimetres to hang freely as well as leaving the top button undone on my shirt.

Not too shabby, I thought giving my reflection a smile.

I had actually thought about pursuing the female uniform, but the idea of this body wearing feminine cloth was a bit alien. I could imagine my old body wearing female clothes, but it was still strange. Like a certain pair of shoes, you wouldn’t wear high heels to a sporting event, you’d wear joggers. 

Daiki is joggers, and my past body's high heels.

…

Great, I’m referring to myself as shoes.

“Daiki-kun, don’t forget to take your pills!” Kaede called, making me respond with a hollered affirmative.

I padded down the hall into the bathroom, opening the mirror cabinet and pulled a rattling bottle off the shelf.

Unscrewing the cap, I pinched two of the white capsules from the bottle. Tilting my head back, I swallowed them dry, before chasing a handful of water after them.

I gave a loud sigh, replacing the top and placing the bottle away, catching a glance of the label.

_ Testosterone Supplements. _

“Breakfast is ready!”

“Coming, kaa-san!”

* * *

 

Ah, Namimori Middle.

A place of top notch education, respectful peers, and spacious grounds. It’s the perfect place to send your growing teenager to spend their middle school life, they’ll meet new people, and get to know the friendly staff, such as the disciplinary committee!

Ha! Ha!

No.

“Run Daiki-kun! RUN TO THE EXTREME!” Ryohei called, holding my bag in his hands as I sprinted away from the pursuing Cloud.

Not even three seconds as a middle school student and I already had the disciplinary committee on my ass. Such as rebel, Daiki.

“Oh, fuck! Hibari-san! Hibari-san! Don’t attack innocent bystanders!” I yelled, trying to reach for the skylark as he knocked students out of his way.

_ BBBRRIIINNNGG _ !

I stared wide eyed at the bar of metal just barely touching my cheek, neither of us daring to move as the students surrounding us watched in anticipation.

“The bell has gone, get to class Herbivores.” Hibari hissed, stepping away from me.

I called Ryohei over and collected my bag, breathing a sigh of relief as I plonked down in my seat alone, the Sasagawa child being in a different class.

Homeroom, as they call it, was pretty run of the mill. We stood and introduced ourselves in a snaking system from front to back, no one really sparking my interest.

“Hey, I’m Kensuke Mochida. I like kendo, and am kind’a hoping to join the club later. Nice to meet you.” The vaguely familiar boy stated, shrugging his shoulders as he sat back down.

Mochida…he was the guy who got the ball rolling when it came to Tsuna collecting his family, wasn’t it? By spreading a rumour, Tsuna’s naked confession, right?

“Yamaguchi-san, your turn.” The teacher called, snapping me from my thoughts.

Giving a bashful smile, I stood from my desk and addressed the class.

“Hello, I am Yamaguchi Daiki. I enjoy baking and physical activity, I’m unsure of what club to join, but hope to figure it out soon. Please take care of me.”

“Good to meet you too, Yamaguchi-san. Higurashi-san, next.”

And it went from there.

There was no one else of note in my class, everyone being pretty nondescript and passable in their own way. 

“Okay everyone, it was a pleasure meeting you. Your next class is Science with Nezu-sensei, be nice to him, he’s just as new as you are to the school.” She smiled, before walking gracefully out of the room, the boys blatantly ogling her.

Dudes, you’re like 13. Stop.

As the bell rung, I pulled my book from my bag, preparing my pacer and ruler, a faint niggling in the back of my mind.

Nezu. Nezu. That’s familiar. Why is that familiar?

“Good morning, everyone.” 

I looked up from my paper and instantly recognised the man, short black hair and small black eyes, hidden behind large glasses. Pale skin and a small frame, with a stern face.

“Good morning, Nezu-sensei!” We chorused, standing and bowing.

_ Yes, _ I thought as I sat back down, smiling up at the man,  _ hello liar. _

**...**

That’s only the first part. This is wrong. This doesn’t explain it well enough. This is obviously cut-and-paste.

I scanned the hand out, circling pieces of information with a red pen and adding information in places that lacked.

Giving a silent sigh, I let my eyes close, listening to the teacher drawl on about a topic he knew the basics of.

“Yamaguchi-kun, I see you’re having a bit of a nap there. Please, tell me the three parts of an atom.”

…

Oh yeah, I’m doing year 7 science.

“Protons, neutrons and electrons, sensei. Sorry, I didn’t mean to appear rude.” I apologised, quickly scribbling the diagram down in my book.

“Good. Now, the electrons and protons attract due to having opposite charges, if you’ve ever put two magnets near each other, you will understand what I mean. We will be having a test on this later this week, so you’d best write this down.”

The sound of pencils hitting paper filled the room in an instant as students prepared for their first middle school test.

Hah, newbs.

* * *

 

“Hey, Daiki-kun! What EXTREME club are you gonna join!?” Ryohei roared as we walked through the stalls, passing the swimming club as they flaunted guys and girls in uniforms.

“Hm, you’re doing the boxing club, yes?” I asked, already knowing the next line that would be screamed into my ears.

“YEAH! DAIKI-KUN, JOIN THE EXTREME BOXING CLUB WITH ME!” 

I covered my ears and laughed, warmth blooming in me as the famous words were exclaimed for the first time.

“Sure, why not. I’ll join the boxing club with you.”

**...**

“Chattering Herbivore.”

The entire boxing club ground to a halt as the call rung out, the once exuberant room freezing in place.

I looked over my shoulder with a smile, sweat making my skin shine under the light as I dropped from the ring, a towel thrown around my neck.

“Hey Hibari-san, good of you to visit. Is there something I can help you with?” 

I shifted as he looking me up and down apathetically, my smile straining when he gave a dismissive grunt.

“No, it seems the herbivores got to you first.” 

I blinked before looking around, realisation smacking me in the face and letting smirk flicker to life. Drifting lightly over to the glaring skylark, I poked his cheek carefully with hot fingers.

“Aw, did you want me to join your disciplinary committee? Sorry Hibari-san, but I’m not going to wear a pompadour.”

“Hm.” He grunted batting my hand away with his tonfa.

“Tomorrow, six thirty in the morning. Usual place.” 

And with that, he strode out of the room, his coat billowing behind him dramatically.

“What is going on to the EXTREME!?” Ryohei asked, stepping out of the change room.

“Hibari-san visited me, isn’t he nice?” I smiled, joining the boy at the punching bag.

“Really? How EXTREMELY thoughtful.” 

“I know, right?”

I held the bag as he began to beat it with his fists, the two of us being instructed to work together.

“Hey Ryohei-kun, are you going to try and be the next captain?” I asked, pulling on the gloves as he and I swapped positions.

“TO THE EXTREME!” He roared, locking his body and handling my punches like a champ.

“Okay you two, you’re warm enough. Start sparring!”

“Okay!” I called, stepping away from the bag.

“EXTREME!”

I gave a puff as I pinched my singlet, airing out my body as I pulled myself up into the ring, envious of the boys walking around without their tops.

“Hey Yamaguchi-san, why don’t you take your shirt off?” One of the upperclassmen called, wiping the sweat away.

“Nah, I’ll deal.” I waved him off, falling into a stance as Ryohei mirrored me.

“Ready…Go!”

* * *

 

“Yamaguchi-san, 98%, well done.” Nezu congratulated, slipping my paper onto my desk.

I lurched forwards and began flipping through the test, trying to find where I had missed out, cringing when I saw the mistake.

Ya fucking idiot, that was a simple mistake.

I groaned and grabbed my red pen, quickly redoing the question beside the incorrect answer as Nezu told off a few slackers.

“Tests are everything, they are what rank you amongst your peers, they put your knowledge into numbers and separate the smart from the dumb!”

Sure, sensei. Whatever you say.

* * *

 

I yawned as I plonked done at the table, Kaede placing a bowl of rice and fish before me, taking her own place.

“So, Daiki-kun, how’s your new school? Are you finding it hard?” She asked, picking up her wooden utensils.

“It’s pretty good, my classmates are a bit on the rowdy side and Ryohei-kun isn’t in my class. The workload isn’t anything to worry about, I can handle it.” I smiled, stuffing a piece of fish in my mouth, internally fist pumping when I didn’t feel any bones.

“How are you holding up? I know the club activities keep me out longer.” 

My mother smiled and waved off my worry, telling me that sales were normal, but the holiday rush had worn off. Our sales leaned more towards people needing a pick-me-up or hungry students who flitted in and out of the shopping district after school.

“There was a robbery in Kikyo-obaa-san’s shop, all her flowers were trampled and her money was swiped. Be careful, okay kaa-san?” I warned, placing our dishes into the sink.

“I’ll be fine, I have you after all!” Mother laughed, hugging me from behind as I ran water over my bowl.

Will I always be there?

* * *

 

“Jesus Ryohei-kun, take your time.” I muttered, shifting in the shade of the tree as students filed out of school.

“Chattering Herbivore.”

I looked up from my shoes and sighed when I saw the skylark perched in the branches above me, wondering when he got there.

“Good afternoon, Hibari-san.” Was my greeting.

“Hold out your arm.” 

I blinked, wondering what it was for, before raising my arm, holding it out to the side.

My eyes went wide as feet planted themselves into my bicep, a hand coming to rest on my shoulder as weight suddenly was dropped onto my arm.

I pumped strength into the arm, shifting to balance myself as the skylark got comfortable on my outstretched limb.

“What the hell, Hibari-san?!” I yelped, stiffening the arm further.

“You can’t just suddenly use my arm as a perch!”

“Quiet, Chattering Herbivore.”

“Don’t tell me to be qui-HEY DON’T JUMP OFF ME!”

* * *

 

“Okay students, before you leave, you need to fill out this form. It’s just a few basic questions that will help the school push you in the right direction. Take your time, and answer truthfully.” The homeroom teacher, Watanuki-sensei, called, walking around the room and placing sheets of paper on our desks.

She was right, they were pretty basic questions. They asked things like: How old are you? What’s your favourite subject? What’s your least favourite subject?

Things like that, slowly rising in intensity, until it came to the last question, that had me stumped for a moment. 

_ What do you want to be when you grown up? _

This question gave us a total of five lines to answer in, making me think that they expected a well thought out answer.

I shifted, about to write the obvious answer of  _ Yamaguchi Bakery.  _ Only to pause.

Why the bakery? Because Kaede was there? Is that why I’d restrict myself? 

How far am I willing to go to keep my mother happy?

Giving a sigh, I scribbled down my answer and handed the paper back to the teacher.

Just how far, Daiki?

* * *

 

“I’m off!” I yelled into the shop, my m other waving to me from behind the counter.

“Be safe!” 

Walking through the streets, I waved to the butcher’s son, watching as he and his mother walked to the preschool.

“Have fun, Renji-kun!” 

He gave a loud shriek of affirmative before dragging his mother the rest of the way, eager to see his friends.

I continued on until I abandoned the shopping district, cutting through the first part of the residential area that led to the school.

Subconsciously, I sped up as I passed a familiar house, one I couldn’t avoid crossing on the way to Nami-chu.

I had tried.

Sawada, the plate read, and that was enough to make me power walk down the path, joining with the flow of children.

“Made it.” I sighed, resting my forehead against my locker door.

“Daiki-kun!” The familiar roar of the Sun came, making me glance at him out of the corner of my eye.

“Yo, Ryohei-kun.” I breather, pulling from my locker.

“It is almost the final days of this EXTREME semester!” 

“Yes, it is.” Was my reply, taking off my shoes and opening the door.

“TO THE EXTREME!?” 

I looked at the small envelope sitting beside my shoes, neat little kanji addressing the letter to me.

This wasn’t the first a letter had come to me, but it was the first time it Ryohei had been there to witness. 

Taking my indoor shoes out, I placed my black shoes in and slipped on the white. I closed my locker and continued on my way inside, Ryohei trailing behind me.

“Why didn’t you EXTREMELY read it?!” He asked, coming up next to me.

“I can do that later, where there are less prying eyes. We go back there before we leave, after all.” I answered simply.

Also, it gives the person a chance to take it back.

**...**

I hadn’t gone to Takeshi’s house since the start of the new semester, school and the bakery piling work up to my eyeballs giving me little to no free time. This, however, resulted in the little Rain to physically hunt me down, and drag me to his home after school, our parents laughing from the gate.

I gave a groan as I laid on my front, Takeshi flopping on my back and reaching around me to play with the unopened pink envelope in my hands.

“Man, I want a confession letter!” He whined, dropping his chin on my shoulder.

“You’re only 12, Takeshi-kun. I’m sure you’ll get some in the coming years.” I said, reaching up and patting his cheek loudly.

“12, and already got myself a husband.” He sang, clumsily lacing his fingers through mine.

“Fiancé, is the correct term, dear.” 

“Uh…”

“It’s French, sorry.” I muttered, unravelling our fingers and handing the little boy the perfumed letter.

“You open it, I don’t wanna.” Came my airy order, my head falling into the mattress.

The sound of paper ripping and crunching filled my ears as the Yamamoto child shifted on my back, opening the letter as if it had been addressed to him instead. There was silence as he read the note, the sudden tension that ran through his body causing me to glance over my shoulder at him.

“Takeshi-kun, what’s wr-” I cut myself off when I saw the dark look on his face, his lips set into a straight line and his eyes sharp.

I frowned before sliding my body around until I was on my back, then sat up to lean against the headboard. With the new position making the young Rain sit in my lap, I was able to see the letter in his hand, six pictures in the other.

The first picture was of me standing behind the counter in the bakery, talking to one of our elderly regulars, handing her her weekly loaf of bread. I had my usual business smile, wide and cheery, one that gave off an open-door sort of feeling towards customers.

I remembered that day, it had been busy with people bustling in and out of shops, but I don’t recall anyone with a camera.

The next photo was of me and Mephisto, on a walk as I would seem. We were nearing the park and I was watching the white pup chase after a much larger dog, an amused expression on my face. The angle of the shot was from the back, and the objects in the way of the scene suggested that the photographer had been hidden when it had been taken.

The third photo had Ryohei in it as well as me, both of us sweaty and laughing as we lifted weights well over twice our mass. Our clothes clung to our broad frames and our skin shone with perspiration as our muscles bulged against the resistance.

The fourth image held both me and Hibari, capturing us as we traded blows behind the school, our faces giving off an almost lazy vibe. The skylark’s tonfa was lashed out, and my body had curved out of the way in time to allow it to pass, making for a pretty good shot.

The fifth image was of the little fish and I, the displeasure of the situation obvious on my face as the young Vongola fidgeted beside me, our mothers half cut out of frame. We were in the bakery, as expected, and it looked to be late afternoon when the shot was taken.

The last image was of Takeshi and me, the image holding us in place as we played catch in the park with one of his baseballs. The young Rain seemed to be talking animatedly about something, and I was merely smiling along with him as I prepared to catch the flying ball.

“Well, at the very least this person knows how to handle a camera.” I muttered, piling up the photos.

“Daiki-kun, shouldn’t you at least be a little worried about his?! You have stalker!” He exclaimed, thrusting the letter in front of my face.

“You mean, I have another one. I know full well you used to keep tabs on me during elementary, Takeshi-kun, don’t deny it.” Was my response, poking him in the chest.

I looked at the note and read the words  _ ‘we’, ‘eternal’, ‘blood’, ‘love’  _ and _ ‘you’ _ , before taking the letter out of his hands and folding it up.

“What- Daiki-kun!?” The young Yamamoto called as I walked out of the room, going on a search for his father.

“Oh, Daiki-kun, what’s that you’ve got there?” Tsuyoshi asked, looking away from the slab of fish in front of him.

“Yamamoto-san, I’m going to go to the local police station for a bit. I will be back before dinner, or will call you if need be. Is that alright with you?”

His eyes sharpened in an instant, training hard orbs at my smiling face. We stared at each other for a moment, before he nodded, telling me not to be gone for too long.

“Will do, Yamamoto-san. I left Takeshi-kun in a state of distress, I must apologise.” I said, before giving a quick bow and jogging out of the shop.

**...**

As I walked from the police station, I felt around my pocket for my phone, flipping it open when I found it.

I quickly scrolled through my growing list of contacts, before landing on  _ Cloud. _

_ “-Chattering herbivore.” _

_ “Hey Hibari-san, I seem to have a problem.” _

_ “Oh?” _

_ “Stalker. Female, in our year. She’s keeping tabs on my routine, this, of course, translates over to you and other residents in Namimori. Moreover, she is skipping class and taking pictures in photography restricted areas, as well as loitering in busy streets.” _

_ “Very well.” _

I smiled as the line cut, the lights on the streets catching my teeth and brass as I passed.

_ Click. _

Ah, never mind Hibari.

I found ‘em.

**...**

_ “Hey, have you heard? Tama-chan’s been admitted to hospital!” _

_ “Yeah, but apparently the police are putting her under a restraining order.” _

_ “Eh?! Tama-chan’s a stalker!” _

I glanced up at Hibari from his perch on my bicep, our conversation cut short by the group of girls next to us as their whispers intensified.

The crouching skylark glared at me, and I smiled back at him.

“Oh, what a coincidence. Well, less trouble for me then.”

* * *

 

I let out a groan as I healed the last, self-inflicted cut on my fingers, finishing the day’s flame training.

“That only took – 63 seconds. Pretty good. I guess adrenaline and a literal ‘dying will’ would probably speed it up by quite a bit. The lack of determination is probably slowing it down.” I muttered flipping my hand to check for any leftover slices.

“Daiki-kun! Can you come and help me put these away?!”

“Coming, kaa-san!” 

I flipped my knife back shut before throwing it into my drawer, slamming that closed and exited the room, making a mental note to clean up the bloody newspaper before Kaede went upstairs.

* * *

 

“Ow!” I yelped, gritting my teeth as my face was pushed into the dirt.

“ _ Kamikorosu. _ ”

“You just did, Hibari-san.” 

I grunted as the familiar teeth sank further, forcing me to relinquish my hold on his wrist.

“Your win.”  I muttered, letting a pout slip past me.

The teen let go of my neck cautiously at the submission, his tonfa still driving bluntly into my vertebrae warningly.

I cracked my back as I sat up, Hibari dusting himself off a little ways away. 

“Okay, Hibari-san, what’s got you so miffed?” I asked, noticing the irritation that had translated through the blows traded.

The skylark remained quiet, glaring at me out of the corner of his eye before turning back to the school.

“Something is about to happen.” 

I sat in silence for a moment, before a sharp smile slid across my face, suddenly happy the boy wasn’t facing me.

“Ah, is that so?”

I never would have guessed.

* * *

 

“EXTREME! WE’RE GOING TO BE EXTREME SECOND YEARS!” Ryohei roared, fist pumping as we walked out of the school for the last time that year.

“Yeah, more work, here we come!” I cheered sarcastically, giving a half-hearted ‘woohoo.’

“OUR EXTREME IMOUTO WILL BE JOINING US AT OUR EXTREME SCHOOL NEXT YEAR!”

“To the extreme?” I asked, a small smile tipping the corners of my lips.

“TO THE  _ EXTREME _ EXTREME!”

We both let out hearty laughs as we parted, leaving me to continue into the shopping district alone.

Almost time.

It’s almost time.

I looked to the sky and let a sharp smile spread across my face, daring to look directly at the sun.

“I  _ do _ hope they put on a good show.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Word Count: 9,959**

* * *

 

I stared sleepily at my calendar, slouched over, pants falling and toothbrush hanging from my mouth. Blinking slowly, I let my dreary mind roll over what the little black _EP1_ in today’s slot meant.

I had woken up early, 3:20 am, for some reason, I’m sure. Now what that reason was, I can’t seem to remember. It was important, I knew that.

As soon as it clicked, I was upright and wide eyed, my toothbrush clenched between my teeth.

_EP1._ Episode 1. Target 1.

“Namimori’s about to be reborn.” I grinned, jogging into the bathroom and spitting out the toothpaste.

“Kaa-san, I’m up!” I called, running into the bakery and grabbing my apron.

“My, you’re up early today.” She laughed, kneading dough with the heels of her hands.

I smiled at her before moving to the store room and grabbing a bag of flour, throwing it over my shoulder and hauling it back with little effort. We worked around each other, years of practised movements being recreated quickly as lights began to flicker on throughout the street.

When the last batch of buns were in the oven, Kaede dropped onto her stool will a sigh, setting another timer on her phone.

"We finished at 4:16 today, you must be in a good mood Daiki-kun."

I shrugged at her before clapping my hands to rid them of excess flour, untying my apron easily.

"I'm gonna workout for a bit, call me when they're ready, okay kaa-san?"

Hearing her hum of affirmative, I ascended the stairs and padded back into my room. Reaching behind my door, I pulled out a yoga mat and splayed it across the floor, papers crunching beneath the plastic material.

I got on my hands and knees before rocking onto my toes, slowly lowering my arms into a right angle and pushing back.

"1...2...3...4...” I breathed, excitement for the days to come forcing a smile on my face.

"134...135...136...”

I wonder how long a gap there was between events?

"152...153...154...”

Will it follow the manga or the anime?

"209...210...211...212..."

I wonder if Mokudo will attack me?

"241...242...243..."

Will I even know when most of the events go down? The mafia is good at covering things up.

"247...248...249...250."

I have a sigh before rolling onto my back, bringing my knees up and pushing my body into an upright position.

It can't be long until Gokudera comes. I’m sure I'll know by the explosions.

"300." I sighed, moving into a stand.

I gave my body a quick shake, before reaching forward, placing my hands on the ground and feet in the air.

I hope they don't get too hurt. I know they won't die, but the last thing I need is guilt making my Flames act up again.

Slowly, I bent my elbows, the tips of my hair brushing the mat, before forcing myself back up.

No more jumping into battles. You know the outcome, and it's usually in the Tenth's favour. They'll be fine.

_"Daiki-kun, almost ready! Take a shower!"_

My arms shook for a second, before I regained my balance and planted my feet back on the mat.

"Okay, kaa-san!" I called, rolling up the blue material.

I gave myself a quick scrub down before exiting, running a hand through my slightly damp hair to keep it down.

Quickly tugging on my uniform and brass, I grabbed my bag and chucked it on the couch, making Mephisto jump, before descending into the warm bakery.

"Okay, we ready?" I asked, pulling on my mitts as I opened the large oven door.

"Just about, take the top out first." She instructed, clearing the workbench and setting up the cooling racks.

I gave an affirmative before pulling out the first dozen, working to keep the rack balanced despite the uneven distribution.

After packing away the last of the bread, moving them onto display shelves, ready to be chosen and bought, a familiar bell chimed through the shop, alerting me that today’s first customer had arrived.

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was 5:20, pretty early for people to be awake.

“Welcome, how can I help you today?” Was my recited call as I turned, rerolling my sleeves.

I blinked for a moment when I saw no one, before a sliver of dread wormed its way into my mind.  Stepping forwards, I moved until I could see over the counter, leaning on my forearms as the black material of a familiar fedora became known.

…

Oh…

“Ciaossu.”

Oh fuck.

 

* * *

  **|REBORN|**

Ah, Yamaguchi Daiki, the baker’s son.

According to the files, the boy had a history of violence despite his civil attitude. An abusive father and brawls with the other boys in the neighbourhood, lead him to carry around a pair of brass knuckles.

From the lack of activity they had, it seemed to be used purely as warning, a scare tactic to keep the testosterone at bay.

His mother and the maternal Sawada were close, enough so that the two sons were expected to spend time around one another. It seemed, however, that they were strained at best. The elder of the two wanting nothing to do with the little Dame, and the Vongola heir being both scared witless of him and almost trying to force a friendship upon him.

Reborn watched as the 179cm tall boy faltered for less than a second, before returning to his display of well-versed customer service.

“I’ve never been here before, what do you suggest?” The Arcobaleno asked, tilting his head back to allow the boy full view of his childish face.

“I thought so, I’ve never seen you around before.” The 15 year old smiled before scanning the display case.

“Hm, how about a cherry pecan bread?” He suggested, moving to show the cake like loaf.

Oh, now that’s interesting. This can either go very well, or very badly for the boy.

A flash went through Reborn’s eyes as he looked at the product, wondering what the boy’s next step was.

“Pecan bread? Could you explain why?” He pressed, feeling Leon scuttle from the back of his rim to the side.

“Pecan bread, especially cherry, is apparently very good with coffee.” The baker’s boy said, before stalling and turning to the Arcobaleno.

“That is, most people awake at this time of morning usually partake in the caffeinated drink. I was under the impression you are the same.”

A small smirk slid onto the hitman’s chubby face, his hand coming to tip the front of his fedora down to shadow his face.

“You are right, I do find myself indulging in coffee often.” He answered, withdrawing the required amount from his wallet and handing it over to the tall boy.

“Well, I hope you enjoy. Come again soon!”

Reborn nodded as he walked to the door, before stopping and looking over his shoulder, making the Yamaguchi child pause in his stacking.

“The name’s Reborn, just Reborn.”

As the world-class hitman walked down the awakening street, he swore he heard laughter erupt from the shop.

**|REBORN|**

* * *

 

Good Lord! I almost pissed myself!

I let out another choked laugh as my nervous smile slowly retreated, my cashier persona no longer there to protect me from dangerous baby hitmen.

“Let’s never do that again…” I sighed, running a hand through my hair before pausing when a flash of green caught my eye.

Freezing in place, I stared at the unblinking chameleon sitting on the warm display case, looking completely content to drill its wide eyes into me.

We remained completely still as the clock ticked loudly in the corner, the occasional twitch of its tail and blink of my eyes the only movement in the room.

“Daiki-kun! You better get ready, you and Ryohei-kun have to set up the- _WHAT IS THAT?!_ ”

I jumped awaked and grabbed the little lizard off the case just before Kaede could throw her shoe at it, running up the stairs as I undid my apron and grabbed my bag.

“Later Miphy, try to calm kaa-san down!” I yelped, dropping the lizard onto my shoulder before running out of the shop, a hysteric mother searching for any of Leon’s ‘babies’ _._

“Jesus.” I breathed, hands on my knees as I regained my breath from sprinting up and down stairs and beyond the shop.

The lizard on my shoulder scuttled around a bit, before slipping into my collar and settling between the material and my neck.

“You. You belong to that baby from this morning, don’t you?” I asked, feeling the need to pretend around the shape-shifting reptile.

Better safe than sorry.

“I better find a way to get you back.”

Straightening, I quickly remembered that he would be atta- meeting Tsuna today.

It was too early, however, for that to be taking place. So school it is then.

“DAIKI-KUN! RACE TO THE EXTREME!”

“You better hold on, little lizard.” I warned, clutching my bag tighter.

The lizard stared up at me before making me jump, its body glowing and shifting around my neck, before a clasp clicked in place.

“Oh…well then.” I muttered, touching the cool strap of scales that wrapped around my neck with caution.

“Ah, do most of your species do tha-AH FACK!”

“TO THE EXTREME!”

“Slow down! Slow down!”

 

* * *

 

Boxing, for me, was hard in its own way. The stiffness and blocky feel of the style made me tight and almost claustrophobic as I tried to conform to the positions. The desire to let my leg strike out when I saw an opening below the waist, or let my heel crash against a patella to bring my opponent to the ground, was great enough that my leg would always twitch when I saw it.

They all seemed like perfectly good ways to end the fight, but, as always, the smarter part of me reminded me that boxing was a _sport._ Sports have rules and regulations, and boxing says ‘no kicking’.

Leave the bone crushing for the mobsters, I thought as I sent my fist flying at the upperclassmen put into the ring with me.

_“1! 2! 3!”_

“ _Yamaguchi-san is winner!”_

Now, if only the damn senior would stop calling in English.

I gave a sigh as I helped the third year off the floor, giving him a clap on the back as we walked past each other to our respective corners.

“Another EXTREME win, Daiki-kun!” Ryohei cheered, pegging my water bottle at my face.

“Thanks, Furuichi-senpai is hard to take down.” Came my airy response, my body dropping from the ropes.

I glanced at the trinket hanging from my duffle bag, the shiny green sphere with an unblinking face watching the interaction.

Damn it Leon, why’d you stay in the bakery. Aren’t you and Reborn inseparable, or something?

“Sasagawa-kun! You’re up!”

I gave Ryohei a loud smack on the back, the red mark staying for less than a second before my sun Flames lashed out and healed the broken capillaries apologetically.

Glaring at my hand, I dropped onto a bench and closed my eyes, leaning my head against the wall. Ignoring the slight rattling that hinted Leon’s form shifting to face me, I let out a loud sigh.

To anyone watching, it would seem like I was taking a break, calming myself down after a tough fight in the ring, but in reality, I was reaching for my Flames.

Against the black of my eyelids, a large, sunshine Flame faded into view, a simplified projection of the masses in the black room.

I watched the Flames dance around hesitantly, the almost sentient fire knowing it had gone against my desire to stay hidden. Gently reaching out, I coaxed the Flame to die down, the once broad bonfire, now at the size of a candle’s.

This did not come without a price however, as I noticed a sliver of apathy touch the back of my persona, before the little Flame that refused to die ate away at the cold feeling.   

A small flicker of a smile came across my face as I opened my eyes, the familiar warmth of sun Flame grazing the palms of my cupped fingers.

“I forgive you.” I chuckled quietly, dipping my thumb into the barely visible glow.

I jumped as Leon broke from his transformation, scuttling over my arms and curling up in the fire, closing his eyes for, probably, the first time since I met the thing.

“Yamaguchi-kun! You’re up!”

The shapeshifting chameleon sprung from my hands and ran off, probably to find Reborn now that he was closer, finally.

“Coming!”

**...**

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                _“CONFESS TO KYOKO-CHAN WITH MY DYING WILL!_ ”

Ryohei and I paused on the staircase, looking at each other with equally confused expressions. As the younger boy jogged up the remaining steps to get a view from the nearest window, a realisation dawned on me.

It’s begun.

…

But wasn’t Ryohei meant to be out jogging?

Manga, maybe?

“Hey, Sasagawa-san, isn’t that your little sister?”

I jumped out of my thoughts and run up the flight, sticking my head out the open classroom window, cringing when I saw the far away visage of a boxer-clad DWM Tsuna.

_“Who’s that?”_

_“A first year?”_

_“What a way to start the year!”_

_“Damn, the kid’s got guts to confess like that!”_

_“No way he’s gonna get the girl like that!”_

_“Honestly, boys are so insensitive! Look! She’s running!”_

_“Run girl! Run!”_

“Okay students, get to your seats, class has begun!”

A chorus of affirmatives rung out as we all pulled ourselves away from the spectacle, shaking our heads in disbelief.

“Oh, Ryohei-kun, you’re in the same class as me. Cool.” I perked up, realising just who had thrown their bag on the desk next to me.

“You just realised to the EXTREME!?”

“Sasagawa-kun, please stop screaming when I’m trying to mark the roll.” Our new teacher said, looking over his glasses to stare at the blushing boy.

“Sorry, sensei.”

I smirked as the Sasagawa child elbowed me in the side, the rest of the class used to our antics by their second year of observation.

So, the story’s started, finally.

I turned my gaze to Ryohei, watching as he stared up at the blank board absentmindedly, a small frown finding its way to my face as I remembered the many times he’d be hurt, hospitalised and worse.

Mokudo, Lussuria, Byakuran, Arcobaleno, the list goes on.

The Sun blinked before his eyes trailed over to me, the rest of his head following after. He gave me a confused expression, a faint inkling of worry showing behind his eyes.

I forced a smile onto my face, feeling relief when Ryohei mirrored it.

He’ll be fine.

I know he will.

I hope he will.

**...**

PE had been a bit of a problem for me, having to change in the same room as guys for three years, and more to come. I had fallen back on a habit I had in my past life, something that I used for my thinner clothes.

Undershirts.

Undershirts had saved me more times than I could count. Getting a bucket of water dumped on me, running in the rain, getting a tear in my shirt, sweat. Undershirts had become my life.

However, even with the miracle cloth hiding my feminine traits from the outside world, there were instances when I thought I would get caught.

This moment, being one of them.

“Got ya!” Yelled a classmate, his fingers sliding under the hem of my layers and flipping them up.

“Hiroshi-san, what the fuck!?” I yelped, my uniform shirt falling from my fingers as I tried to pry the younger boy’s hand off my PE uniform.

Thankfully, the boy had only drawn it up to just below the binder’s line, leaving my chest hidden from prying eyes.

“Holy shit, Sasagawa-kun was right! You do have a six pack!”

“Dude! Those are more solid than my plans for the future!”

“That ain’t saying much.”

“Piss off, asshole!”

“This is great and all, but can I have my shirt back? Thanks.” I said, tossing the boy’s pants into the far corner, making him run after them in his briefs.

“Well, this is a great way to introduce the first years to the change room.”

The occupants of the BO smelling room turned our heads to the dry statement, raising eyebrows at the teacher standing in front of the small groups of boys.

“Hey, if you came in here expecting a marching band, it’s your own fault.” A classmate shrugged, arms the only thing in his shirt.

“Yeah, there are no barriers here. Just bromance!” Two boys sang, wrapping their mostly naked bodies around each other, getting a couple of wolf whistles before someone pegged a stick of deodorant at the, telling the two to knock it off.

“But honestly, have you seen the abs on this guy!?” Hiroshi shouted, running back up to me, grabbing my shirt from behind and flipping it up again, displaying my stomach to the new students.

“Oh for the love of God!” I sighed, flipping the hysterically laughing Ryohei off.

“Daiki-kun! Be EXTREMELY proud of your EXTREME abs!” He roared, slapping his hand into the muscle, the loud smack ringing through the loud change room.

I gave a yelp and wrapped a hand around the abused skin, punching the pale haired boy in the shoulder.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun. Get off me.”

I grabbed the boy by the collar of his PE shirt and all but drop kicked him back to his little group, the scream he let out reminiscent of the first year girls’.

_“Daiki-kun!”_

Ryohei and I glanced at each other as the familiar voice rung out from within the small group, the tanned teen ripping from the team of 15 or so.

“Oh, hey Takeshi-kun.” I greeted, absent-mindedly noticing how he wrapped his arms around the part of me that held no cloth.

“Are you here to do some EXTREME sports!?” Ryohei asked, his pants off, leaving him in boxers.

“Yeah, we’re gonna play baseball!” The young Yamamoto cheered, a bright smile on his face as he anticipated his favourite sport.

“Ah, so this must be your class.” I breathed, looking at the awkwardly shifting group of teens.

“Welcome to Nami-chuu.” Was my next statement, customer-service smile sliding onto my face.

Variants of ‘glad to be here’ tumbled out of their mouths, blushing boys avoiding eye contact with their underdressed seniors.

“Okay you lot, you’re gonna be sharing the changing rooms with these first years from now on, you finish when they start. Make them feel comfortable, or at least try.” The gym teacher sighed, before turning to his class.

“Don’t take too long.”

Then he walked out, leaving the first years to whimper under the devilish stare of their senpais.

“Okay Takeshi-kun, I need to finish changing, so you need to let go now.” I said, unravelling his arms and crouching to grab my fallen shirt.

The young Rain walked off to grab his bag, leaving Ryohei and I to pull our stuff out, separating our clothes so they wouldn’t get mixed up like the numerous times they have before.

“So, you know our lovely Yamaguchi-kun, do ya?”

“How’d you say it again? _Daiki-kun!_ ”

I tilted my head in the voice’s direction, both Ryohei and my eyes flickering to the noises, trading glances and nods.

We pushed away from our corner, making the small trek to the side Takeshi had taken. We noticed the amount of senior crowding him, making for an almost comical scene, but the strain in the boy’s smile was obvious as he moved from an alien hand.

* * *

 

**|Y.T|**

“Okay students, I hope you all have your PE uniforms, you’ll be having your first lesson today.” The gym teacher announced, making a small boy let out a strange ‘ _hiiee_ ’ noise.

Takeshi only pouted, miffed that he couldn’t find his fiancé anywhere in the school. He had tried to look for him, but morning practice ate up most of his time, and little time plus an unfamiliar layout didn’t work in his favour.

“Now, I’m pretty sure another class is in here right now, but they should be civil.”

The little ‘I hope’ barely auditable above the whispers that were traded in the halved class, the girls going off to do a cooking class of sorts.

The teacher seemed to take a second to calm himself, before pressing his hands against the door and pushing it open, harsh light peeking out of the door.

The first thing the class was presented with, was a pair of flying pants.

“Well, if you came in here expecting a marching band, it’s your own fault.” A tall, lanky boy shrugged.

Fair enough, the Rain thought, scrunching his nose at the smell of body odour mixed with cheap deodorant that hung in the room.

He blinked in surprise as two barely clothed boys wrapped their arms around each other, the words of ‘bromance’ standing out from the hollers and whistles.

This whole situation had almost lost its novelty, while it was still entertaining to witness, Takeshi would much rather play baseball and see if anyone in his class could even try to match his Daiki’s balls.

“But honestly, have you seen the abs on this guy!?”

The yell made the boy turn his head, vaguely interested in the physical accomplishments of his senpais, before stalling.

Takeshi’s eyes gratefully drank in the sight of toned muscles, tanned skin and sharp hip bones that were forcefully put on display for him, the person wearing them making the sight even more alluring as his groan of irritation rumbled in the young boy’s ears.

His ogling was cut short when a hand came in loud contact with the fine piece of flesh, a familiar voice making the floor shake from the vibrations. His Daiki gave a short yelp, before he gave the Sasagawa child a solid thump with his fist.

The young Rain watched as his fiancé showed a feat of strength by sending his peer flying with a kick, dark brown eyes drawn to the way muscles shifted to accommodate the movement.

Out of the corner of his eye, Takeshi noticed the smallest boy in their class shift, a red hue beginning to coat his cheeks as he glanced from the floor to the elder boy’s body periodically. It was then that he decided to make himself known to his pitcher.

“Daiki-kun!” He called, stepping from the cloud and wrapping his arms around the older boy, his smile growing as bare arms came in contact with Daiki’s warm core.

Takeshi made an effort to be nice to Ryohei, knowing that Daiki could feel his dislike of the elder boy and didn’t appreciate it. He didn’t have to act very hard, the prospect of baseball being enough to blind him of anything disagreeable at the moment.

The gym teacher gave them instructions and a vague time limit, leaving them to their own devices amongst their seniors.

Much to his chagrin, his Daiki requested release from him, resulting in the young Yamamoto begin forced to separate from his body of warmth, and the white material of his undershirt to fall back and cover his skin.

A small part of him was miffed that Daiki wore an undershirt, the amount of bare chests in the room hinting that such a measure of modesty was unneeded, but at the same time, he was pleased that the display was hidden from unworthy eyes.

Grabbing his bag, Takeshi settled in a corner, unzipping his bag whilst unbuttoning his shirt. He gave a tug and pulled the white material from his shoulders leaving his top half bare.

It was then, did he notice the leering looks of the upperclassmen around him, and at that moment, they approached blatantly.

“So, you know our lovely Yamaguchi-kun, do ya?”

_Your?_

“How’d you say it again? _Daiki-kun!_ ”

The young Rain tried to pass the comments off as teasing, but the growing itch in the back of his mind kept throwing the charade off, making the smile on his face almost slip multiple times.

He didn’t like the way they were looking at him, nor did he appreciate the way their fingers twitched occasionally as if to reach for him. The Rain stepped away when a hand strayed too close, moving again when he noticed the others in close proximity.

Dark eyes darted from faces to hands, body tense and smile tenser as he tried to be civil with his senpais.

Suddenly, there was a weight on his neck, an arm slung over his shoulders and a body pressing him against their side.

_“Sorry, this one belongs to me.”_

Takeshi’s head snapped to the side, the familiar bass sounding off right beside his ear and rumbling through his side.

His eyes landed on the smirking face of one Yamaguchi Daiki, muscled arm wrapped around his neck and pants hanging loosely from his hips, leaving a sharp V visible as he stared down his handsy peers.

“ _We’re sure you EXTREMELY understand._ ” Came from his other side.

He turned his head again and stared wide eyed at the visage of Sasagawa Ryohei standing a little behind them, his strong arms crossed over a bare broad chest as he grinned toothily at his classmates, pants too hanging off his hips.

“Damn, sorry Yamaguchi-kun, Sasagawa-kun. No need to go alpha on us.” One laughed, taking a step back.

“Yeah, didn’t know you already staked claim. Sorry.”

“No worries, TO THE EXTREME.” Ryohei grinned, waving them off before turning his attention to his friend.

“Come, Takeshi-kun.” Daiki said, grabbing the Rain’s bag and leading the trio over to his and Ryohei’s side.

Takeshi remained quiet as he watched the two boys work around him, sliding their belts through their pant loops as they talked.

“Oi, Takeshi-kun, you’re meant to be changing now. Strip.” Daiki ordered, glancing at him over his shoulder, half his face hidden by his popped collar.

Strip? For Daiki, he’d willingly strip.

“Hey there, got your mind out of the gutter. Damn, your hormones must be racing like no other for you to be looking like that.” The elder boy sighed, tapping the first year on the forehead.

Takeshi blinked before unbuckling his belt, coiling it up and leaving it by his bag. He rummaged through the clothes stuffed in, pulling out the shirt and track pants supplied by the school. The young Rain dropped his pants before quickly pulling on the PE ones, feeling the hesitant glances sent his way by both first and second years.

“Two years Ryohei-kun. Two years and you still can’t do your own tie.”

“Hey, I’m getting EXTREMELY used to it.”

“Yes, that must be why it looks like a double knot, rather than a Winsor.”

The first year glanced up from his strings to look at his elder’s interaction, his Daiki reaching over to redo Ryohei’s tie as the youngest of the pair pouted, loudly claiming that it was fine the way it was.

Takeshi decided to wear the school tie from then on.

“Okay second years, you need to get moving!” The teacher yelled into the room, making the group of boys throw their stuff into their bags messily.

“Got it, sensei!” A senpai yelled as tribute, the rest busying themselves.

“Done.” Daiki sighed, finishing flattening out his pile.

“We’ll see you later Yamamoto-san, TO THE EXTREME!” Ryohei roared, tugging his bag into his shoulder.

Takeshi’s attention snapped from the yell to the fast approaching Daiki, all bodily functions grinding to a halt as soft flesh was pressed against the corner of his lips for a moment.

“Later, _kohai_.” The elder boy smirked, the words having too much bass to have anything other than vulgar intention behind them.

Daiki laughed as he and Ryohei walked out, the rest of their class flowing after them, hiding the boys from his line of view.

The young Rain stared, slack jawed and red faced at the closed door for another few seconds, his classmates glancing awkwardly at him before jumping at their teacher’s call.

He turned back to his bag, reaching for his shoes completely on autopilot as his mind slowly shifted back into gear.

A small smile flickered onto his face as his phone beeped, the screen lighting up to show a picture of him and Daiki pretty much falling asleep in their breakfast. Takeshi opened the new message, his smile shifting into a sinful grin.

_From: Shujin-kun_

_Revenge._

Oh _honey_ , don’t you know not to play ball without a mitt?

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

“Hey Ryohei, you heard about the match later today?” I asked, moving my bento so that it sat flush against Ryohei’s, letting him take a piece of sausage.

“Yeah.”

Oh, he’s quiet.

“Do you want me to go check it out, or do you want to come?”

I snatched a stack of rice from him, enjoying Kyoko’s seasoning happily.

“I’ll come.”

“Fair enough, also, Kyoko-chan’s gotten better. Today’s lunch is perfectly seasoned.”

“EXTREMELY RIGHT!”

“Ryohei-kun, you just gleeked all over me.”

“…”

“You’d best run.”

**...**

Ryohei and I chewed on the sticks left over from our lollipops as we watched Tsuna stumble into the gymnasium, our position, alone at the top of the seats, giving us the advantage of height to view the whole situation.

“THE PRIZE SHALL BE KYOKO-CHAN!”

Both our jaws jumped at the declaration, the brass on my hip suddenly seeming very tempting at the moment. Ryohei seemed to sympathise, hands coming to compulsively tighten the bandages wrapping his hands.

Our bodies shifted to lean against each other as the scene continued, both of us working to keep the other calm by trying to relax our muscles.

A chuckle broke from me as Tsuna went Dying Will, all out attacking our fellow second year with little mercy, rendering the kendo captain prematurely balding. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the smirk of satisfaction on Ryohei’s face as he relaxed into me, flexing his hands to loosen the wrappings.

A flash of black made me look up, my eyes landing on the small figure of the baby hitman standing on the rafters, a self-satisfied expression on his chubby face.

Leon seemed to notice me first, its beady eyes shifting to me before it bobbed its head rapidly as greeting. I sent it a flash of the eyes, before turning back to the scene of a boxer clad Tsuna, seconds before Reborn’s gaze landed on me.

“ _Herbivores._ ”

“That’s our que, Ryohei-kun.” I said, the two of us exiting just as all hell broke loose.

**...**

I blinked as the surrounding students froze and locked eyes onto a single entity, the usual warning given to me, making me hold out my arm and receive the skylark easily.

“Chattering Herbivore.”

“Hibari-san, how have you been today?” I greeted, closing my notebook and stuffing it into my pocket.

Taking off my glasses, I folded them and let them hang from my shirt, turning my attention to the perched Cloud.

“There is a baby here, he’s strong.”

“A baby? Now that’s interesting.” I smiled, tilting my head to glance past him, the silhouette of one Sawada Tsunayoshi appearing by the window.

“Hm. Boost.” Hibari ordered, shifting his weight.

I let out a loud sigh before spreading my feet and crouching, drawing his perch back. Giving a grunt, I milked my ATP system of all it’s worth and threw the skylark into the air, sending him flying through an open window.

“Lazy bastard.” I muttered, rubbing my arm.

* * *

 

Yawning, I settled on the couch at 6am, Mephisto resting his head on my lap as the television let out murmurs of the early morning news. Running my hand along the pup’s back, I let my eyes close for a moment, seeking out the little Flame inside me.

It took a moment, but the bright yellow Flame flickered to life against the black of my eyelids, greeting me with a wave of warmth. Letting the Flame dance around, I coaxed it to die down, before adding mental fuel to the fire, the tongues of Will flaring up and making the corners of my mind snap into activity, ideas and plans formulating out of nowhere to try and burn off the new energy. Shaking my head, I blew out a long breath, soothing the Flame back to its original size.

As I let the Flame flicker of its own accord, a flash in the far inky distance caught my attention.

Another Flame.

Another Sun Flame.

My eyes snapped open in surprise, Mephisto raising his head in question to my sudden tension.

Was it my own? No, it felt different, more controlled.

I settled again, resting my hand on his head and closed my eyes, summoning back my Flames.

I fixed my attention on the fast approaching Flame, willing my own to move so I could get a proper view of it.

It was huge.

Massive compared to my small bonfire.

Somehow, the Flame was familiar, like I had come in contact with it before, but before I could get my finger on it, the bell below me went off, alerting me to the customer in the bakery.

Letting out an irritated groan, I stood from the couch, grabbing my apron and descended the steps, walking into the shop. I paused when I saw no-one, before sirens went off in the back of my mind.

The huge Sun Flame was close.

Really close.

Practically on top of me.

“Ciaossu.”

My muscles tensed at once, the accented voice ringing out from the other side of the counter setting me on guard.

Wait, Sun Flame…

Reborn’s Flame?

“Welcome back Reborn-san, how can I help you today?”

Was I seeing Reborn’s Flame?

“The cherry pecan bread, please. You were right, it does go well with coffee.”

I gave a nod and collected his request before accepting the cost handing the baby hitman his bagged bread.

“Thank you, come again.” I smiled, giving the surfaces a quick scan for any stowaway chameleons.

“See you tomorrow, Yamaguchi-san.”

I gave a small bow as he exited, my hands clenched under the register.

Seems like we’ve got _quite_ the dangerous regular.

* * *

 

Another fifteen minutes and I can get going to school, thank God I don’t have morning practice.

Rolling my sleeves to my elbows again, I did a quick count of the register, summing up the total and storing away the information in the back of my head.

The morning rush had started to taper off, the early morning workers mostly at their jobs now and the rest usually having enough time to have their own breakfast at home, so I was left standing at the counter in the empty shop, daydreaming away the hour.

“ _I’m sorry! I’ll get it real quick! I’ll be right back!_ ”

I blinked at the figure of a girl screaming apologies into her phone, a brow raising as she ran into the bakery, her face red and her breath heavy.

“Uh, are you okay there?” I asked, watching her catch her breath.

“Y-yeah! I’m fine! How much for a loaf of bread?!” She yelped, standing straight.

“115 yen.” I answered, making the quick conversion to roughly $1.50, Australian.

I watched the girl as she rummaged through her strange little ninja rabbit wallet for the amount, tilting my head as her face reminded me of someone. I recognised her uniform, the Midori Girls school insignia sewn into the breast pocket of her jacket, but who was she?

“Oh no! Only 90 yen!” she cried, her face dropping in defeat as she let out a loud sigh.

I thought back to the amount I counted in the register, before deciding that it wouldn’t pain us much to let her off, seeing as she was obviously already not having the best of days.

“Hey, I’ll give you a loaf, just pay next time you come by. Deal?” I smiled, pulling a loaf from the rack.

Her face lit up in a second, brown eyes practically sparking as she clasped her hands in front of her.

“Really?!”

“Yeah, you seem to be in a bit of a rush.”

I waved off her gratitude and bagged the loaf, introducing myself as the owner’s son.

“Ah, my name’s Haru Miura! Thank you, Yamaguchi-kun!” She yelped again, bowing as she took the paper bag.

“Come again, Miura-san.” I said, by some miracle stopping myself from freezing.

Haru Miura, that girl, the mildly creepy one who declares herself Tsuna’s wife after he saves her.

She thanked me again before bolting, yelling promises of return with the correct amount within the next few days.

I waved at her retreating form, a tight smile on my face.

Another one.

God damn it.

* * *

 

Absentmindedly, I cracked my knuckles as I walked through the residential area, passing by the mostly empty houses as I thought about the Sun Flame I _saw_ this morning. A Flame, other than my own, and I had _seen_ it.

“ _Hiiee!_ ”

I glanced up, my face falling when I saw the fallen form of the future Decimo a little ways away from me. Raising an eyebrow, I watched as a familiar chihuahua slowly approached the frail child, its tail high and animated as it moved forwards.

The girl probably wanted to play, having been stuck inside the small garden for days on end by an inactive owner.

Letting out a sigh, I made a mental note to offer the lady who own the tiny dog to take it for a walk with Mephisto, God knows he needs friends his age.

“Here girl, c’mon! Come here, little lady!” I cooed, drawing the pale furred pup from the sweating Vongola.

Kneeling, I let the dog put its paws on my leg, pushing itself up to come closer to my hand as I pet its head and back.

“Y-Yamaguchi-san!” Tsuna squeaked, rolled onto his stomach.

“Hello Sawada-san, not much of a dog person, huh?” I greeted, scratching the pup under her chin.

“It’s vicious!”

“It’s bored, and wants to play. If you keep screaming and running, she’ll think you’re offering a game.” I corrected, gently picking it up.

The young Vongola squeaked as I walked past, taking a step back when the little dog let out a high pitched bark. I bent and lowered her back into her garden, shooing her back into the house when she tried to slip back between the bars.

When I straightened, I saw the little boy still laying on the road, making me raise an eyebrow at him.

“Having fun there?” I asked rhetorically, making him jump up with a red face.

“Ah! N-no! I was just…yeah.”

I gave a hum before turning, a glance at my watch telling me I had a limited amount of time to get to school before another brawl would take place. As I walked, I noticed the slightly faster steps of the younger boy trailing behind me, a sigh of annoyance building in my nose.

He’s going to the same school as me. He’s not following me. Cool it Daiki, no need for paranoia. I bet he won’t even talk to-

“Ah, Yamaguchi-san?”

Fuck.

“Yes, Sawada-san?” I breathed, somehow keeping irritation out of my voice.

“A-are you in an r-r- _relationship_?” He finally squeaked out, saying the last word as if it was intimate.

“What do you mean?”

“W-well, yesterday in the change room-ah- you k-k-kissed Yamamoto-san, and uh…”

I glanced over my shoulder, finding humour in just how red the young Vongola’s face was at the prospect of kissing.

“Hm, I suppose I am.” I answered, a small smirk finding its way to my face when the little boy’s eyes widened and his blush darkened.

“So, have you been practising your strokes?” Came my question, deciding a small conversation with the tiny teen wouldn’t harm anyone.

Tsuna’s face suddenly lit up, his pace speeding up to match mine as a shy smile came to his face.

“Y-yeah! An instructor saw me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted proper lessons. I’m not sure if I should take them though, I’d be put with the children since I’m still pretty new to swimming.” He laughed shyly, a hand coming to rub the back of his head.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, even if you need to work with the little ones, swimming is a good skill to have.”

The conversation continued smoothly, Tsuna coming more and more out of his shell as we spoke, my own desire to keep my distance waning as a self-depreciating joke made a quick laugh burst forth. The little Vongola wasn’t that bad a conversation partner, despite his lack of public voice, he had his own opinions and ideas, adding insight to my own thoughts that widened my perspective. The school had come into view, and I had wondered for a moment if avoiding the little fish was really all that worth it if I was cutting out such a welcoming person.

My boy tensed when I felt something brush against my non-physical self, my Flames flickering in its own curiosity as something scantly tapped at their tongues. I tilted my head as if trying to hear it, before snapping my head up and grabbing hold of my Flames in a suffocating grip. I slapped away the probing force, resulting in my physical body to stumble away from its source.

* * *

 

**|S.T|**

Sawada Tsunayoshi flinched as if stuck, his hand coming to cradle a phantom pain in his chest that bloomed forth unexpectedly. He felt hurt, a cold stabbing sensation forming in his lungs and heart as confusion washed over him. It took him a moment, the sudden bombardment of emotions and unreal pain rocking him, but he eventually recognised the familiar emotion that underlined it all.

_Rejection_.

He had been rejected, but why what? By whom?

An unsteady breath left him before he looked up, his eyes landing on a further away Daiki, the boy’s own hand drawn close to his chest in an almost _defensive_ manner.

Why was he hiding from him?

He was so _warm_ a second ago…

“Sorry, Sawada-san, I need to – to talk to Ryohei-kun. We planned to meet up before class and talk something over. Bye.” He said, his eyes shifting around before he walked away at an almost jogging pace.

Why is he leaving?

Tsuna glanced down at his hand, opening the curled fist.

He felt cold again.

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

I let out a loud groan as I slumped against the cool wall at the back of the school, the smell of cigarette smoke making the air stale as the delinquents and problem children fled.

Closing my eyes, I summoned forth the image of my Flames, a panicked breath leaving me when I saw the tiny embers barely holding onto life. My grip had been brutal and harsh, forcing the lively Flames to shut down instantaneously had hurt them badly.

Reaching out, I gently coaxed them back to life, memories of gentle times acting as tinder, the sunshine Flames returning back to their original glory, albeit hesitantly, tongues recoiling from anything possibly foreign. I sent careful waves of apology to the fire, a small smile coming as the golden glow moved with them acceptingly.

Opening my eyes, I reached up and slapped myself across the face, my teeth gritting as the obvious reasons for my actions rammed into my mind.

Sky Flames. Sky Flames, Daiki! Tsuna has Sky Flames!

I had fallen for such a stupid trap, Sky Flames draw people in! No wonder my desire for distance waned! It had been okay before because his Flames were locked away, now they’re free and looking for guardians!

“I’m so dumb.”

**...**

“Hey, Daiki-kun, you ‘kay there?”

I looked up from my book, turning my gaze to Ryohei with a slightly miffed expression.

“Hm, not really.” I answered truthfully, fingering the edge of the page I was on.

“Wanna share?” He asked, turning in his seat to face me fully, abandoning his bento.

“Nah, it’s petty. I’ll be better the sooner I forget about it.”

**...**

I wiped a few droplets of blood and saliva from my lips, smirking at the pinned skylark as his two tonfa lay strewn on the other side of the roof.

“Another win to me, Hibari-san.” I said, rising from his fallen form.

He gave a grunt as her stood, stubbornly ignoring the bleeding bite mark on the back of his neck, probably causing his a bit of discomfort.

“Apparently, there’s a volleyball tournament going on at lunch. Were you aware of it?” I asked, throwing his two bars of metal at him before checking that my own brass was still attached.

I had yet to use them on anyone since the Mafioso, and I took that as a personal win.

“Of course.”

I let out a hum, before looking over my shoulder at the gym, a memory sparking in my head.

“Just be aware, I think some of the players are gonna play possum.”

The skylark narrowed his eyes at me, not understanding what I had said.

“All I can say is, it’s not my fault.” I shrugged, before letting out a laugh and dodging a strike to the face.

“Round 2, then.”

We bared our teeth at each other and went in for the kill.

**...**

I let out a sigh as I leant out of my class window, Ryohei chatting animatedly with a classmate, leaving me to my own devices. I rested my head on my arm and let the other limb hang, watching a bunch of bird have a go at each other.

“ _Hey, hey, hey! What’cha thing ya doing ‘ere newbie!?_ ”

_“Sorry ta break it ta ya dude, but this place is for us senpais only!”_

_“Yeah! Yeah! So get lost, first year!”_

Oh God, they’re at it again.

Letting out a long breath through my nose, I turned my attention to the noises, the group of boys at a slight angle to me, making the fact that my head was tilted be very helpful in watching them.

I blinked when I noticed just which first year my peers were targeting, a faint smile touching my lips when light caught on silver strands, unlit cigarette and pale skin.

My eyes latched onto the subtle movement of the transfer student’s hand, when it disappeared into his pocket, a dangerous looking cylinder peeking out.

_“What? Ya wanna fight?”_

Now, as amusing as this was to watch, I could tell that those boys were biting off more than they could chew without even knowing it.

Withdrawing from the window, I opened my workbook and ripped out a page, old instructions flowing through my head as I folded the paper neatly. Tilting my creation, I smiled.

Foreshadowing, like a Boss.

* * *

 

**|G.H|**

Hurricane Bomb Hayato couldn’t be less interested in getting the title of Vongola Decimo, he knew the second news of the heir’s death reached the God Father, he was as good as deleted from the world, any trace of the Gokudera bastard would disappear from the system in less than a night.

Really, he just wanted a look, a sneak peek at what the future would hold for the underworld and its lowest occupants, such as himself.

Hopefully, this new heir won’t drag the Vongola name through the mud.

Apparently, the kid hadn’t had any exposure to Mafia life, born and raised in Japan, breed to live as a civilian, and only made aware of his precious blood recently. He was lanky and thin, showed almost no potential and was easy to give up.

He showed no qualities of a Boss.

The young Storm raked a hand through his hair in frustration before blatantly walking out of his class, ignoring the teacher’s indignant call.

He needed a smoke, and he needed one now.

There would be a game on volleyball at lunch today, that would be the kid’s last chance to prove himself, otherwise, Gokudera would have to force his abilities out of him in a rather, _explosive_ , way.

Pale hands pried open a cigarette box, ignoring the grotesque imagery on the case, and slid a single thin cancer stick between his teeth. He walked around the corner and sighed at the amount of upperclassmen already populating the place he has chosen to be his smoking area. Once they noticed him, they began to flock like pigeons, swarming the irritable Italian as they spewed threats with poorly constructed words.

His hands itched to set something alight, whether it be the cigarette in his mouth or the bomb in his hands, he had yet to decide.

As they continued to yap, he could feel his patience waning and his craving, growing with each passing second. The sound of explosions and falling rubble sounding more and more clear with every slanged word.

Gokudera swiped his thumb across the wick of the dynamite, feeling for any dampness or imperfection. Just as he was the light them up, a flash of white brought all the noise to a halt.

The second years and Gokudera looked to the thing that had swiped past the most forwards of the bunch, a papercut irritating the bridge of his nose.

Green eyes hardened when they landed on a paper aeroplane as it landed on the ground a little ways away from the group, resting innocently amongst the grass as if it hadn’t just set off an annoying memory he’d rather not deal with right now.

_“Hey, c’mon now, leave the boy alone.”_

All of the attending males snapped their heads to the amused voice, eye latching onto a figure on the second storey.

Gokudera frowned as he took in the older boy, his upper body draped lazily over the sill of the window, his head resting on a tanned arm as the other hung out, another aeroplane pinched between his fingers. His face was set into one of content amusement, eyes half-mast and smirk half-assed.

Everything about his body language screamed that he was of no danger, but the Hurricane couldn’t help but tense up under the elder boy’s gaze, somehow feeling evaluated and known at a single glance.

That guy isn’t normal, he decided, watching as the second years turned to their peer.

“You guys better scatter, Hibari-san’s about to loop around here, and I don’t think he’ll appreciating crowding, not to mention skipping class.” He drawled, his smirk stretching as a wave of unease washed over the boys before all of them left, gathering their stuff and returning to their designated classes, their fear of the famed Skylark greater than their desire for delinquent life.

Gokudera turned his glare to the boy in the window, watching him flip the paper plane in his fingers as he ignored the stare.

“Who’re you?” He finally asked, caving to the silence faster than the elder.

The tanned boy glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before raising an eyebrow, pausing his flipping.

“Me? Oh, I’m Yamaguchi Daiki, the baker’s son.” Yamaguchi introduced, tipping his head in greeting.

“Care to tell me your name, little one?”

Gokudera pulled his face into a snarl, not appreciating the demeaning address.

“Little one? You’re only a year older than me!”

“179cms.” He chuckled, his eyes trailing over the younger boy’s body.

The Storm stopped when he thought back to his own height, 168cms, damn, 11cms difference.

“Name, little one.” Yamaguchi urged, tipping his plane in the green eyed boy’s direction.

“Gokudera Hayato.” He growled out.

“Welcome to Namimori, Gokudera-san.” The taller boy greeted lazily, sending the plane flying the Hurricane’s way.

The pale boy caught the paper in his grasp and locked eyes with him, amber-earth meeting mint leaves.

“I hope you enjoy your time here.”

Gokudera glanced down at the aeroplane in his hands, the strange situation having distracted him from his previous agitation, calming his nerves arguably faster than any smoke would have.

“It would have flown better if you had angled the wings more.” The green eyed boy commented offhandedly, throwing the plane with experienced hands.

Yamaguchi’s smirk froze for a moment, before stretching into a Cheshire smile.

“Oh, you’d know _all_ about that, wouldn’t you, Gokudera-san?”

Said boy’s head snapped to the tanned boy, only to see him gone from the sill, window closed and room empty. In the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered hearing the bell go off, signalling the end of class, and the beginning of lunch.

He shook his head and replaced his cigarette, focusing his mind on the task at hand, namely the Vongola.

Yamaguchi was probably just sassing him.

**|G.H|**

* * *

 

Ryohei and I leant  against the railing of the gym’s second level, matching bored expressions on our faces as we watched the little Vongola try and sneak in, only to be received by his screaming schoolmates.

I let out a small laugh at his expense, before turning my attention to his team, instantly spotting the young Rain, and the angry Italian transfer.

“Ah! Daiki-kun!”

My attention turned from the transfer student to the ecstatically waving sportsman beside him, giving a smile and my own, more subdued, wave back.

“Do your best boys!” I yelled, getting a round of thumbs up.

“TO THE EXTREME!” Ryohei roared out, making the people below us flinch.

I’m pretty sure that after this, Gokudera’s going to drag Tsuna out back and have a showdown after a long introduction. Reborn’s going to shoot Tsuna in the face, and Tsuna saves Gokudera from an underdeveloped move. Yeah, something along those lines, I’m sure.

_“Oooh!”_

_“Ouch!”_

“He used his organ to block!” Ryohei exclaimed, leaning over the railing to see closer.

I grabbed him by the back of his shirt, stopping him from going head over heels into the crowd below us, and settled him back on his feet.

“I can’t believe he would sacrifice a man’s most important part, just to block a ball.” He breathed, his eyes widening.

“EXTREME! Proof of his strength!”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed him again, pulling him off the railing with a loud sigh.

“Ryohei-kun, please stop jumping on the railing. You’re too fat, you’ll break it.”

Well, at least it did its job. The team’s all pumped now.

I scanned the members, sending Takeshi a thumbs up and a smile when we made eye contact, before meeting Gokudera’s.

What to do to him, I thought, before settling on the lazy smirk I had earlier and mouthed ‘little one’.

From the sudden dark look on his face, he probably figured it out.

I rested my face on my knuckles as the match continued, A team working with new vigour thanks to Tsuna’s sacrifice to the volleyball gods.

Hinata would be pleased.

“ _Game set!_ Class A wins! _”_

As the team flocked to congratulate their middle blocker, Ryohei roaring congratulations, and the crowd below us creating white noise, I glanced over to the other side of the gymnasium, spotting the little hitman easily.

He obviously had no intention of hiding, then.

I tipped my head in greeting when our eyes locked, he himself tipping his fedora at me, Leon doing a weird, hello-hi bob he did to greet me.

As the team walked into the change rooms, and the people chattered amongst themselves, I was the first to leave, letting Ryohei join the masses freely.

Walking out, I left the hum of the gym behind and walked back to the school, stopping when I stood below my window. Crouching down and picking up one of my paper planes, I examined it, before a small smirk came to my face.

Gokudera was right, the angle was off.

By 3 degrees.

“Heh, smart kid.”

**...**

I sat in the empty classroom, my class had been given a free period- I know, miracle, right – and most of us had migrated to either the library or sports oval, the rest splintering off around the school. I had chosen to pursue another source of entertainment instead, waiting for the inevitable, one-sided showdown between the Hurricane and the Fish.

The chair I sat in was set backwards, allowing me to lean against something without having to open the window and subject myself to the dust that would no doubt arise from the bombs about to go off.

_BOOM!_

I leant forwards, a faint smile on my face as the first bomb went off, wondering how no-one else was hearing this.

I mean, didn’t Nana hear it all the way back at their house, but none of the students, literally next door, can hear it?

I call bullshit.

Or Mist Flames. Maybe mist Flames.

_“Hey Tsuna-san.”_

Oh.

_“Yamamoto-san!?”_

Oh dear.

My hands gripped my biceps tightly as my legs twitched to stand, before I forcibly sat myself back down.

_“What sort of game is this? It looks fun, let me in!”_

“Jesus Christ, sweetheart.” I muttered, bringing a hand to my face.

I sat up when a gunshot went off, the loud resounding bang making me wonder why I hadn’t heard it the first few times. My hand latched onto my mouth to stop a snort from breaking past as Tsuna’s star spangled boxers became known to the world, a familiar orange Flame flaring to life erratically on his forehead.

“ _Extinguish! Extinguish! Extinguish!_ ” The young Vongola screamed, after images following in his wake as he did just that.

“Good Little Fish.” I murmured when I saw DWM Tsuna put out the Flame on Takeshi’s bomb, my body relaxing slightly.

Gokudera doubled the bombs, before tripling the amount, and that’s about when it started to go downhill. He dropped one, and with the sudden shift of mass, the rest came tumbling down, surrounding the teen with explosives, a look of dread on his face.

_“Extinguish! Extinguish! Extinguish!”_

Tsuna, hyped up on Dying Will, continued to put out every and all things lit, effectively saving the young Storm’s life.

A small smile found its way onto my face when Gokudera kneeled to Tsuna, declaring his loyalty.

_“Can’t we just be regular classmates?”_

_“I can’t let that happen.”_

Well then, guess we’ve all got guy problems then.

_“Hey, let me into the group! You’re the Boss, right!?”_

Yes, Takeshi, Tsuna is the Boss. Your Boss now, have fun with that.

_“Huh, what’s up with him?!”_

_“That underwear guy is such a loser!”_

I stood from my chair and stretched, kicking the chair back under my desk. Letting out a sigh, I looked through the window once more, before freezing.

All three of the boys were looking at me with varying expressions, each attuned to their own character.

“ _Oh no, someone saw all of that!?_ ”

“ _I’m sorry Tenth! I’ll find out who it is and deal with them!_ ”

“ _Scavenger hunt!_ ”

“Sorry, not gonna happen.” I muttered, exiting the room and melding with the mass of students.

I let a smile touch my face as Gokudera and Tsuna ran past me at full speed, turning into the classroom and letting out screams.

“Daiki-kun!”

A set of arms wrapped around my neck and a body hung from me, making me stop in my tracks and use my free arm to support it.

“Hey Takeshi-kun.” I greeted, ruffling his hair.

“Hey, hey, did you see anyone come out of that room?” He asked, pointing to the room I was in.

“No, not that I can remember.” I lied, raising a brow in question. “Why? What are you up to?”

“Tsuna-san, Gokudera-san and I are playing a game, and we’re trying to find someone!”

“Sounds fun.” I smiled, before unravelling his arms.

“Good luck, I need to go to boxing club.”

“Bye Daiki-kun, I bet we’ll catch ‘em!”

I bet you won’t.


	9. Chapter 9

**Word Count:** **11,305**

* * *

 

Letting out a yawn, I leaned my forearms on the counter, my mind wandering as the quiet of the bakery lolled me into boredom. All the bread was ready, and mother had gone to her bed, retiring due to a headache that had struck unexpectedly.

I had warned her that, no, another episode of the Japanese subbed ‘ _Neighbours’_ wouldn’t be fine.

I glanced at the clock in the corner, 5:18am. A small smirk found its way to my face and I closed my eyes, calling for the sunshine Flame to appear behind my eyelids. It took less time than it used to for the Flame to flicker to life and send me greeting waves of warmth, energy thrumming through my body as the Flames awoke slightly.

Looking past my Flame, I searched for the familiar one that came by every day, now making its approach. The bright beacon of golden fire moved towards me leisurely, taking its time to reach the bakery, the sound of the bell alerting me of its entry.

“Ciaossu.”

“Good morning, Reborn-san.” I greeted, opening my eyes as the Flames faded, replaced by their original colour.

“The usual, or are you after something different today?”

The home tutor tilted his cap before asking before asking for a coffee cake, instead of the usual cherry pecan bread, having eyed the treat the last time he had come.

I had become accustomed to the hitman’s presence in the shop early in the morning, him being my first customer of the day for a while now. He always came at 5:20am on the dot, and most of the time he bought a cherry pecan bread, before giving me an update on his ‘student’, whose name he had yet to indulge me in.

“Oh, I saw it catch your interest yesterday.” I laughed, handing the hitman his slice on a small platter, letting him sit up on the counter.

“Hm, and for good reason. Your mother is a master at cakes.”

A swell of pride filled me, not bothering to correct the little hitman that coffee cakes fell under my order, Kaede hating the smell.

“I’ll be sure to tell her that.” I breathed, a smile flickering on my face as I leaned onto my forearms, going on the same eye level as the no.1 hitman.

“So, anything new happen with your student?”

Reborn let out a hum, sliding his fork from his mouth before speaking.

“He seems to show some promise, he has acquired two subordinates for his family. His grades and overall physique have yet to improve, however.” He sighed, as if the information weighed heavily.

“Perhaps he’s a late bloomer, give him some time, he might just surprise you.” I offered, handing the baby a tissue.

“Yamaguchi-san, you never asked about families.” He commented, while accepting the tissue, making me pause.

Through all his talks, he had thrown around the word ‘mafia’, ‘family’ and such without a care, and I didn’t bother to ‘ask’ what he meant, sort of hoping he’d leave it alone, and think I was one of those accepting types.

Apparently not.

I smiled and leaned on my hand, looking down at the hitman out of the corner of my eye.

“I feel like, I don’t want to know.”

Black pits flashed for a moment, before his fedora shadowed his face, a small smirk working its way across chubby cheeks.

“Fair point.”

* * *

 

I blinked as I passed the Sawada house, a faint noise making me tilt my head and freeze.

“ _Aaahh!_ ”

Oh, I recognise that voice.

The tree beside me shook as a black and white blur few into it, my legs moving before my mind registers the threat. I was a good few meters from the house when the blast went off, the pressure moving me forwards faster than I’d feel comfortable feeling again.

“Well, welcome to the party, Lambo-san.” I muttered, brushing my pants off.

“I’m going now, see you later kaa-san!” I called, sticking my head into the kitchen where she was having a slow breakfast.

“Ah, Daiki-kun! Wait, take these with you!” My mother perked up suddenly, before grabbing a small ziplock bag from the kitchen counter and handing it to me.

I looked down at it and examined the contents through the clear plastic, the little purple balls of sugar rolling from one corner to the other.

“Thanks, kaa-san.” Came my comment, pressing a kiss to her cheek before exiting the house.

As I walked from the bakery, I pushed a little lolly into my mouth, rolling it around on my tongue to try and figure out the flavour.

Grape.

How lovely.

* * *

 

“Thank you, Yamaguchi-san!” The Yumei Private girl shouted gratefully, bowing before turning and taking off in the directing of her school.

“Wait, uh this isn’t…shit.” I sighed, glancing down at the perfumed letter in my hand.

The confession letter addressed to Yamamoto weighed light in my hand, easily flipping to let me see the love heart sticker used to seal it shut on the other side.

The poor girl expected me to give this to him in her place, too shy to do it herself.

“This isn’t a good idea.” I muttered, pocketing the paper with a loud sigh.

Starting, I stepped to the side as a bicycle rode past me, a helmeted woman riding the two wheeled contraption. Keeping my eyes on her, a faint inkling of recognition passing, I watched as she came to a stop before a uniformed boy.

I narrowed my eyes when I recognised him, Tsuna.

What the hell?

“Here, you can have this.”

Shit.

My eyes widened when her helmet came off, dark pink hair falling and Italian accented voice sounding.

_‘Poison Scorpion’ Bianchi._

The young Vongola fumbled the open can of fizzy drink, dropping it and spilling its orange contents clumsily.

“Man, I looked so uncool. But why me?”

I watched him as he reached for the can, memory telling me that he wouldn’t actually touch the can and would be fine.

“Ah, it’s spilling!” He yelped, my breath hitching when his fingers grasped the tainted aluminium, lifting the container.

“Sawada-san! Drop that!” I shouted, alarm making me turn and take steps towards the younger boy.

The young Vongola let out a frightened squawk, reeling mind following my order in an instant. He spun around and faced me, brown eyes wide in shock as he recoiled in on himself slightly.

“Y-Yamaguchi-san? What’s wrong?” He squeaked, drawing his hands to himself.

My eyes were focused on the liquid eating away at the asphalt, a frown on my face as my mind reeled, trying to understand why he had actually _picked it up_. Tsuna wasn’t meant to touch it, he was meant to see miasma or something and stop! What had gone wrong!?

I shifted my gaze to the younger boy eventually, the troubled expression still on my face. Stepping forwards, I pointed wordlessly to the pothole forming in the street, a shout ripping its way out of the Vongola heir.

“Don’t take things from strangers, Sawada-san. Especially if they’ve already opened it.” I muttered, kicking the half-empty can away from us.

“What the hell?!” He squeaked out, stepping away from the hole.

Letting out a sigh, I stepped around the boy and walked away, the thoughts racing through my mind making me move faster.

Ryohei wasn’t out jogging, Tsuna actually picked up the can. They’re small changes, but if I wasn’t there, Tsuna might have actually touched the liquid and gotten poisoned. Why’d that happen? Why are things changing?

I let out a breath, trying to calm myself with the knowledge that they were small things.

But could small things compound to a big thing?

* * *

 

**|REBORN|**

_Interesting..._  Reborn thought to himself and smirked his Smirk_Ver.17: You-peasants- are-amusing-me.   
_(Do NOT confuse it with his_ Smirk_Ver.23: Channeling-your-Inner-Sadist-like-a-boss _or the_ Smirk_Ver.8: Your-futile-struggling-is-vaguely-entertaining-me. _Reading those smirks could save your life!)_

Yamaguchi Daiki couldn’t have known about this. The chances and possibilities are almost zero. Zilch. Nada. His file and minions are so far completely accurate, and his calculations said that he would run into his dame student exactly at 7:39.

 _Which had happened._ He smirked his Smirk_Ver.12: Everything-is-going-like-planned.   
_(Not confused with_ Smirk_Ver.7: I-know-something-that-you-don’t _.)_

 _But…_ (His smirk changed to Smirk_Ver. 20: I-am-confused-and-irritated-but-too-cool-and-awesome-to-frown-like-you-commoners.) _Instead of a chance to gauge his Flame control to heal Dame-Tsuna from a subtle sedative, which I convinced Bianchi to make instead of her usual, more obvious one, he prevented him from consuming it in the first place._

He smirked the Smirk_Ver.10: You-insects-better-get-ready. _Maybe this job won’t be as boring as I thought…_

Because while he found Dame-Tsuna’s incompetence and distress amusing every single time, the entertainment value of his girly shriek and thoughts is not to be underestimated, he was itching to be challenged. For a long, long time...

**|REBORN|**

* * *

 

“It’s EXTREMELY fortunate that Takeshi-kun sits next to the hall window, hey?” Ryohei roared, hands linked behind his head as we stopped by class 1-A.

“Yeah, I suppose so. Hey! Takeshi-kun!” I called, rapping my knuckles on the window beside the young Rain’s head.

Class hadn’t started yet, but most of the students were in their seats or crowded around their friends’.

I quietly sucked on my teeth when I noticed Takeshi was talking to Tsuna, but brushed it off when the black haired boy opened the window with a wide smile.

“Shujin-kun!”

Don’t pretend you didn’t just choke on your spit, Sawada. I saw everything, you can’t hide the shame.

“Morning dear.” I greeted, leaning on the sill and held out the little perfumed envelope.

“Oh! Daiki-kun, you don’t need to give me love letters!” He cooed, leaning closer.

“Sorry sweetheart, this ain’t from me. Seems you got yourself an admirer from Yumei Private. How fancy.” I corrected, a lazy smile coming to my face when the other first years started tuning in on the conversation.

“Eh, then why do you have it?”

“Apparently she’s too shy to give it to you herself, and she’s seen us walking around together, so she came to me instead.”

Takeshi flipped the paper in his hand before giving a grunt and slipping it into his bag, turning back to me.

“What? You aren’t going to read it?” I asked, kicking Ryohei in the leg when he snorted.

“Nah, I’ll read it when I get home.” He shrugged, before looking up when the bell sounded.

“Well, we have to get going. See you.”

His face formed into a pout and I laughed, sliding the window shut, the glass pressing against his nose when he tried to lean in.

* * *

 

“God damn Hibari-san.” I muttered, carrying a large box of paper on my shoulder, Hibari’s paperwork, to be exact.

“Too damn lazy to carry his own shit. First a bite-buddy, then a perch, then a launch pad! What next?! Dress me up in a frilly maid outfit and make me say ‘ _Fukaku watashi wo kamimasu, onegai’_?!”

The birds in the tree above me scattered as a loud, aggravated groan ripped from me.

I was meant to be in class, but the damned skylark had all but kicked the door in and dragged me out of the room.

Literally.

He grabbed my tie and just towed me out.

In front of everyone.

God damn.

I sighed, wondering why I even bothered anymore.

Knocking on the staff room’s door, I handed off the box of paper, raising an eyebrow when the teacher squawked and yelled for another teacher’s help.

It wasn’t that heavy…

“I’ll take my leave, sensei.” I got out of there when they fell, not wanting to sort the paper _again_.

Standing out in the front path of the school, I took a deep breath and stretched, cracking my vertebra as I did. Reaching around, I thumped my back to try and mute an itch that hid beneath my binder, avoiding my nails through the thick material.

“ _Papa!_ ”

What?

I yelped as I was bowled over, something catching me in the side and throwing me on my back.

Groaning, I rubbed the back of my head as I sat up, looking down at what had attacked me out of nowhere.

“What the hell?”

The first thing I noticed was the cow print shirt and the afro, then the horns and necklace. The young boy’s arms were wrapped around my waist as he sobbed into my stomach, whining about Reborn.

Lambo Bovino, a _15 year old_ Lambo Bovino, was sobbing into my shirt.

…

“I am not okay with this.”

Grabbing the bawling boy by his head, I tried to push him off, only for his grip to tighten and press his body closer to mine.

“Papa! Reborn’s being mean to me again! Make him listen to me!”

I stilled, the familiarity of the title making me uneasy, especially since that hinted future interactions.

It’s fine, maybe I babysit him for the Vongola sometimes or something? Maybe he says it to piss me off? Maybe I look like his dad? It doesn’t mean I do anything _dumb_ in the future.

“Hey, who’re you calling ‘ _Papa’_?! I don’t know yo-“

I was cut off as a plume of smoke filled the air, the weight on my chest disappearing before being replaced by a much lighter one.

_“Lambo-san didn’t mean to break the plate! Waaa!”_

Ah, the time limit must have expired.

Coughing, I waved away the cloud of smoke, the young Lightning coming into view as the particles dispersed.

I groaned when I saw his crying face, before frowning when I saw the small cut on his cheek. He had said something about a plate right? He must have gotten hurt then.

Maybe I could…just as an experiment?

Closing my eyes, I did a quick scan for Reborn’s Flame behind my eyelids. Finding none, I turned my attention to the teary little cow nursing his wound in my lap.

Carefully, I raised my hand, trying not to scare him, before letting two of my fingers gently prod the skin beneath the cut.

I was vaguely aware of Lambo quieting down as  I focused on moving a controlled amount of Flame from my core to the tips of my fingers, then carefully transferring it to the broken layers on skin on the boy’s face.

Fix the capillaries, mend the nerves, sew the skin.

When the little sunshine Flames dimmed and died away from my fingers, a victorious smile came to my face.

“How does that feel, sweetheart?” I asked, wiping away the beads of blood that didn’t get taken back.

“Better. Thank you.” He answered, a rare display of shyness taking place.

“That’s good.” I perked up when I remembered the little balls of grape flavoured sugar in my pocket.

“Here, have one.”

Lambo’s eyes lit up as I held out a small lolly for him, letting the little cow happily take the sweet and shove it into his mouth.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

The young Lightning jumped to his feet, little pads digging into my thighs as he tried to stabilize himself to allow him to pose.

“I am Lambo-san from the Bovino Family! I am 5 years old!” He declared, words slightly muffled by the lolly in his mouth.

“Ah, nice to meet you Lambo-san. What are you doing in Nami-chu?” I asked, knowing full well he was after Reborn.

“Lambo-san was sent here to kill Reborn!”

Well then.

“Um, good luck with that. I guess.”

“Lambo-san doesn’t need luck!”

I know, you need a miracle.

* * *

 

I gave a yawn as I walked down the hall, students bustling past me as they ran to their friends’ classroom to spend lunch with them.

Ryohei had been called to the staff room about something concerning his homework, nothing too serious, I hope. That, however, left me to walk the halls absentmindedly to waste time and burn energy.

I lowered my hand when a familiar little boy came running, his eyes scanning the people in the hall as if trying to find someone.

When Takeshi’s eyes landed on me, they flashed for less than a moment, before he came to a sudden stop before me, panting slightly.

“Hey Takeshi-kun, what’s wrong?” I asked, giving a slight wave despite the proximity of the boy.

“I’m trying to find the nurse, she’s not in the infirmary. Do you know where she is?”

I rolled over the question in my head, half of my mind going to where the nurse was, the other half going to the blurry timeline of the plot.

“Ah, I think she’s in the staffroom, I saw her talking to the gym teacher.” I answered out loud, my brain coming up with Bianchi’s reveal.

“Thank you, shujin-kun!” He grinned, planting his lips on the corner of my jaw before taking off down the hall.

What?

What?

_What!?_

I brought a hand to my face and power walked down the rest of the hall, ignoring the coos and hoots sent my way by the rest of the hall.

My pocket buzzed as my phone went off, signalling a received text. Fishing it out, I flipped it open, skipping past the image of a grumpy Takeshi covering in flour to access the text.

 _From: Favourite Stalker  
_ _Your turn, shujin-kun ;)_

Damn, my little fiancé.

* * *

 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Yamaguchi-san, could you please supervise the first year’s cooking class? Just for today! They’re making cakes and pastries so you’ll be fine!”

I stared up at the teacher in disbelief, Ryohei and the other students snickering at me from within the classroom.

Only in Namimori Middle, does a student get asked to teach a class.

Bloody hell.

“Yeah, sure. Do I go now or..?”

“Yes, please. They’re in the third practical room, thank you Yamaguchi-san! We’ll be sure to put this on your record!”

I watched the teacher jog away, the poor man’s nerves frayed as he yelled into his phone.

Apparently, his wife had gone into labour at the start of class, and none of the teachers could take over, so here I am. The next best thing.

Raking my hand through my hair, I stuck my head back into my classroom and called out to the teacher. She waved me off and told me to collect my handouts off of Ryohei before the next lesson and blessed me with good luck before I bolted down the hall, hoping the girls hadn’t tried to start without supervision.

How the hell was I gonna teach a bunch of girls? I don’t know them well enough to try and be all buddy-buddy with them, it was bound to be awkward. What if they don’t believe me when I tell them I’m taking over as supervising teacher? Argh!

I slowed to a stop in front of the door, the lack of noise coming from the room, probably the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed my nervousness before stepping in, making myself known by clearing my throat loudly.

“Eh? Ki-nii? Why are you here?”

I turned my attention to the call, blinking when my eyes landed on Kyoko and Hana through my lens.

Oh yeah, I hadn’t taken my glasses off yet. Oh well, maybe it will make me look smarter?

“Sorry everyone,” I started, calling the chatting girls attention. “Kenma-sensei had an emergency to attend to, but since you’re all going to do pastries and cakes, he’s put me in charge of your practice today.”

The halved class of girls turned to each other and murmured things, before I had two questions targeted at me.

“What happened?”

“Why are you in charge?”

I smiled hesitantly and answered both truthfully.

“Ah well, Kenma-sensei’s wife had actually gone into labour and he needed to be at the hospital for the delivery.”

I flinched as the girls let out screams of approval, congratulating the long gone teacher.

“And, as most of you know, I am the baker’s son. So I’m pretty well versed in this branch of cooking. There appeared to be no other teacher that can come in on such short notice.”

The class seemed to accept my explanation, moving to their bays with their partner of choice, recipes they printed from home in hand. I let them go about their business, only interrupting the class once to demonstrate the creaming method, before releasing them again.

* * *

 

**|S.K|**

Kyoko became giddy when she saw her other brother enter the classroom, taking control of the situation easily. He had yet to even walk entirely through the door and had already got the class in order, girls in their bays and the role in his hand, ready to mark.

Kyoko really did love her brothers, they were both so cool.

“Geez, he’s so jumpy.” Hana drawled, rolling her eyes.

“What? No, Ki-nii is the bravest person I know!” The young girl squawked, turning to her friend with a pout.

“C’mon Kyoko-chan, he’s obviously nervous. I don’t blame him, girls can be feral around a good looking boy. If he weren’t already with Yamamoto-san, I’m pretty sure he would have torn apart.” The long haired girl smirked, pulling her black locks into a ponytail upon Daiki’s instruction.

“Okay girls, apparently you all have your own recipes to follow. Pick your partner and have at it, call for me if you need anything.”

“ _Anything?_ ” A classmate giggled, leaning on her bay top suggestively.

“Sorry, sweetheart, I’m already spoken for.”

Kyoko gave a small laugh when she saw a good porting of the room deflate, pouts and complaints shared through the class.

“For those who don’t know me, my name is Yamaguchi Daiki. Okay, respond to your name, please. Abe-san?”

Abe gave a wave from the back corner of the class, the rest of the girls quieting down as they waited for their name to pass.

“Akane-san?”

“Please, call me Kana-chan. _Yamaguchi-kun._ ”

“Maybe when you start buttoning up the rest of your shirt, Akane-san.”

The class let out a low ‘ooooh’ and laughed, Akane pulling her apron up a bit higher.

“Damn, he has no mercy, hey.” Hana laughed, pulling out bowls and utensils.

“Ki-nii has always been appreciative of modesty.” Kyoko breathed in response, grabbing the tray and walking with her to the centre table to collect their ingredients.

“Kurokawa-san?”

“Over here, Daiki-san.”

Daiki gave her a nod before turning to the next girl on the role.

As Hana measured their flour, Kyoko turned her attention to the only boy in the room, a small smile coming to her face as she mused to herself.

Yamaguchi Daiki, despite the boy being eleven years late, Kyoko could barely remember a time where Daiki hadn’t been in her life. As a child, she had been enamoured by the stories her brother told her about the adventures he and his mysterious friends went on during breaks and weekends, how he catered to her brother’s rash and extreme nature, inherited by their father.

For years, Kyoko had pieced together an image of the boy from Ryohei’s childish and basic explanations, slowly adding personality and appearance to the base in her mind.

Daiki was a source of escape for her, her mind running off as she imagined how she would meet the older boy. Perhaps they would meet at a grand ball, him asking her for a dance. Maybe they would fall in love, and then their identities would be revealed to one another! Each version was as fantastical and glittery as the last, making the young child swoon.

But the way they had met, was by far the greatest. And the scariest.

Kyoko didn’t mean to cause so much distress, going with the two boys with the promise of seeing her brother. She didn’t know the amount of pain that would follow, for both Ryohei and Daiki.

The confrontation had been harsh and brutal to their young minds, curses and fists thrown at each party by both sides. Ryohei being beaten by the two elder boys and just as it seemed like it was all over.

He appeared.

Daiki came running and protected them both, using strength that neither of them had to defend them.

Grass stained knees, scraped up elbows and bleeding from multiple places, Daiki turned to the two Sasagawa siblings, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Despite his rough appearance at that time, Kyoko couldn’t see anything other than her white knight. A nobleman, come to save her and her brother from despair.

Kyoko would be embarrassed to admit, but for the next few years, she wrote out plans for her wedding with Daiki, how many kids they would have and what their house would look like. She dreamt of clichéd walks on the shore and fancy dinners by candle light, creating and reconstructing how he would propose and how old they would be when it happened.

Then Yamamoto Takeshi came into the picture.

When Ryohei had come home telling her about the boy, she had almost teared up, but managed to keep it in. She was jealous, she knew, and she didn’t like the feeling. Kyoko had the good sense to keep a lid on her tantrum when her brother told her about Daiki going to a sleepover and the shift in his interactions with the other boy.

For a while, Kyoko didn’t like Takeshi.

Then she saw Daiki’s face when they were around one another.

The tanned boy always seemed to have some sort of trouble resting on his mind, a certain layer that stuck to his mentality and weighed him down, only really lifting around Ryohei.

Around Yamamoto, however, it was almost as if the layer was…washed away.

The chef’s son had a presence that set Daiki’s mind at ease and allowed his muscles to relax, whether they knew it or not. When their hands brushed, Daiki’s eyes would clear and become alert, and when Yamamoto hugged him, he settled down, racing mind and surging body finally getting a chance to rest and take its time.

When Kyoko saw that, she willingly stepped down from her pedestal, instead taking up the role of younger sister. And you know what?

Kyoko watched as Daiki shifted his glasses, ready for her name to be called.

“Imouto?” He hummed, looking to her.

“I’m here, Ki-nii!”

She couldn’t be happier.

**|S.K|**

* * *

 

“We’re all done?” I asked, drying my hands as I surveyed the room.

A chorus of affirmatives rung through the class as they balanced their treats on plates, excited titters flying from person to person.

“Okay, in an _orderly fashion_ , we’re going to go upstairs and give some to the boys to try. Don’t run, or you might drop them and we don’t want that.”

I opened the door and let them out before closing the door behind them, locking their bags and valuables in the room. Pocketing the keys, I walked to the head of the swarm, leading them to classroom containing the other half of their class.

“Now,” I started, sliding the door open and addressing the small group of boys. “These lovely ladies were kind enough to make you lot some delicious cakes, be nice and take them with gratitude.”

With that, I stepped aside and let the girls in, watching in amusement as they called for their crushes and friends.

“Daiki-kun!”

I let out a laugh as I caught Takeshi’s hand when he approached, spun him with old knowledge from salsa class, and pushed him back to the crowd of boys.

“Sorry sweetheart, but today’s about the girls. Enjoy your cakes.” All of the smiles and waves I sent him didn’t do any good to remove the pout on his face, before he turned to Tsuna and did a 180.

Turning my attention away from the boys, I focused on the girls, scanning them and their products proudly. A sudden shift amongst the crowd made me straighten slightly, a frown coming to my face when a flash of pink showed through the white and blue of the uniforms.

It took me a moment, but my mind came up with the answer.

Bianchi.

I thought about leaving her, and letting events take place as they were foretold, before a glance to Kyoko’s excited face made me break.

She looked so happy, she was excited to give her intended the cake she worked hard to make.

I bit my lip, before walking out of the class and standing behind the group of girls. Reaching through them, I let my hand circle around Bianchi’s bicep and fluidly pulled her out of the mass, thankful that she still held her poisoned cooking in her hand.

I had been fast enough. Good.

“What the-”

“Excuse me miss, but I do believe that you are trespassing, and unless you gave give me a visitors permit, I must ask you to leave.” I cut her off, crossing my arms while keeping an eye on the cake in her hand.

“You. How did you see me?” She asked, taking a step back.

How _did_ I see her?

“I just happened to be looking, I suppose.” I shrugged, before dodging under the platter of purple flung at me.

Giving a cough, I covered my mouth and nose with my hand as the miasma rose from the plate, Bianchi already vaulting out a window.

Grunting in annoyance, I pulled out my phone and typed a text to Hibari quickly.

 _To: Cloud  
_ _Get the janitor in front of class 1-A quick. Intensive. Possibly corrosive._

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I entered the class again, leaning against the door as I watched the happy scene.

It was a lot more tranquil than what would have happened, Takeshi surrounded by girls as he formed a cavity and Tsuna accepting the cake from Kyoko, blushing bright red.

“Lambo-san wants a cake!”

I looked down at the little cow, scooping him up before he could throw the room into chaos.

“Sorry sweetie, but all of the cakes have been given to someone.”

Placing the boy on my hip, I laughed as he began to tear up, a pout on his face.

“But Lambo-san wants sweet things!”

“You want another grape lolly?” I asked, fishing one out.

“Yes! Yes! Lambo-san loves grape and candy!” He cheered, happily letting me shove a sugar ball into his mouth.

“Eh!? Lambo-san, why are you here!?”

Both Lambo and I looked to the call, the visage of Tsunayoshi standing in a strange, half jump stance greeting us.

“Oh, is he yours, Sawada-san?” I asked, accepting Lambo’s outstretched hand with my pointer.

“No! I mean yes! Sort of!”

Raised eyebrows were traded through the room the young Vongola tried to make a proper sentence that didn’t contradict itself, failing quite miserably.

I smiled when Kyoko let out a laugh, Tsuna deflating in defeat as Takeshi pat him on the back.

Yeah, a little change can’t affect _that_ much.

* * *

 

 _From: Favourite Stalker  
_ _Morning shujin-kun!_

A small laugh left me as I read the text, before I quickly typed a response, dodging around a telephone pole.

 _To: Favourite Stalker  
_ _Do you not have practice today?_

The reply was almost instantaneous, my phone going off seconds after I sent it.

 _From: Favourite Stalker  
_ _I do, I’m just texting you during a water break!_

 _From: Favourite Stalker  
_ _Ah, gotta go! See you at school! ;D_

I stared at the emoticon for a moment, before rolling my eyes and snapping the phone shut. Shoving it back into my pocket, I let my hand glance over my brass, before glancing up when a shadow was cast over me.

What the…

_“Hello!”_

_“Ciaossu.”_

Nope!

I began to walk faster, my breath catching and my body coming to a stop when I felt a tug on my leg. Looking down, I let a growl rumble in my chest when I saw Leon transformed into a rope and wrapped around my ankle.

_“It’s that girl…”_

_“My name is Miura Haru.”_

I could hear her voice shaking as she tried to keep her balance, muscles straining to stop her body from swaying.

_“I know. You follow us a lot when we’re going to school.”_

_“What is it today?”_

_“Um, will you be my friend?”_

_“Sure.”_

God damn, I didn’t know humans could hit that pitch.

I rubbed my ear in irritation as I tried to pull my foot free, noticing Leon’s face traveling down the line towards me.

_“Yamaguchi Daiki, you’ve been standing there for a while.”_

Glancing over my shoulder, I sent the baby a passive glance, ignoring the screech that left the young Vongola.

“Hello Reborn-san, it seems that your strange pet has taken a liking to my foot.”

Get him off, _please_.

“Eh!? Yamaguchi-kun!?”

My eyes snapped up at the yelp and my arms tensed when I saw Haru’s body tilting dangerously, my own body moving forwards and catching her without my consent.

Wait…wasn’t Haru meant to be able to do gymnastics…I DIDN’T NEED TO SAVE HER! STUPID BODY!

Glancing down at the girl in my arms, forcing a smile on my face to cover up my moment of stupidity.

“Miura-chan, are you okay?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.

I stilled sharply when I saw the dazed expression on her face, a faint redness coming to her cheeks a she drew her hands to her chest.

Oh no.

Please no.

“Y-You can call me Haru-chan, Yamaguchi-kun.” She murmured, glancing to the side.

Shit.

“Ah- Yamaguchi-san? Your foot is still…” Tsuna tried, hand raised half-heartedly as his body half deflated.

Same, Tsuna. Same.

“Reborn-san, can you release me?” I urged, happily taking my foot back when the baby hitman stroked Leon.

Carefully, I put Haru down and took a step back, watching as the girl jumped back into the plotted event.

“Ah, I know this seems a bit rushed, but can I squeeze you like this?” She asked, hugging herself tightly.

My eyes widened slightly when I saw Leon shift, his body morphing into his second most common form: a gun.

“Don’t be so familiar with me. I’m a hitman, you see.”

Hey, that would have rhymed in English.

Focus!

Tsuna’s eyes latched onto mine, and I responded with a raised brow, watching in amusement as he fell into a state of panic.

“Hey, don’t say that stuff in public-”

Hand!

Stepping up behind Haru, I gripped her wrist in a gentle hold, the sudden stop letting her fingers glance over the young Vongola’s cheek.

Tsuna remained frozen as he looked up at the hand that had brushed his cheek, eyes locking on tanned fingers that circled a pale wrist.

“Now, now Haru-chan, there’s no need for that.”

* * *

 

**|REBORN|**

Reborn the Sun Arcobaleno, was _not_ happy.

His student, Dame-Tsuna, had tried to Harmonise with someone _outside_ of his selection.

He had tried to Harmonise, and had _failed_ . _Miserably_.

Now, Reborn wasn’t _happy_ , but he wasn’t _angry._ He wasn’t angry, because the young Vongola had finally shown some promise.

He had tried to get to Yamaguchi Daiki.

A boy who had _somehow_ managed to fly under the Mafia’s radar despite his ability. His Flame ability.

Reborn wouldn’t admit it, but he didn’t expect the boy to be so able in his control of his Flames, being able to almost completely extinguish his Flame when he _felt Harmonisation!_

Normal people don’t _feel_ Harmonisation, they feel attachment. The process of Harmonising tends to be subconscious, instinctual, neither Sky nor Guardian was meant to be aware of the process until it had taken place.

And yet, the baker’s son had stopped the Sky Flames in its tracks and managed to avoid Harmonisation.

At first, Reborn thought something was wrong with the boy, the way his Flame seemed to fluctuate randomly did not seem healthy. But after the display, it was revealed that the boy knew he had Flames.

Now, how much did he know _about_ them, that was one of the questions.

Another, was, can Tsuna do it again?

The Rejection had been harsh, but not brutal, there had been worse Rejections, which resulted in Flames being permanently bruised, some even stunted.

If he could do it again, and gain the boy as one of his Guardians, or at the very least an underling...Oh, how would Reborn _love_ to wave the little gem he found at the other Arcobaleno.

  
(He smirked his Smirk_Ver.4: I-have-something-awesome-that-you-don't-have. Not to be confused with: Smirk_Ver.12: Everything-is-going-like-planned. and Smirk_Ver.7: I-know-something-that-you-don’t.)

Then there was Sasagawa Ryohei, practically a carbon copy of the First Generation’s Sun Guardian. His Flame seemed to be constantly ignited, the boy constantly working to the ‘extreme’.

The two Sun Flames worked so wonderfully, that it would be a waste to leave either of them, but at the same time…

Reborn glanced at the figure typing away at his phone, a few paces in front of them, before glancing at his student.

Tsuna kept glancing from the ground to Yamaguchi’s back, clutching his bag as he tried to work up the courage to talk to the boy again.

Could Reborn manage to get _either_ of them?

Yamaguchi had already Rejected the Sky once, and Ryohei would definitely feel the hostility emanating from the boy’s Flame.

Ryohei would probably only go with Tsuna if Yamaguchi did, and Yamaguchi might just knock him off if he tried to Harmonize again.

There was a careful balance that needed to take place, a certain measure that needed to be taken in order for either of them to become a Guardian.

Reborn was all for Ryohei being the Guardian, having the abilities of the First and the same pure drive, but Yamaguchi had his own tricks, his awareness of his Flames and his strength making up for his lack of drive. Not to mention he was already in some sort of companionship with all of the current candidates.

But, of course, that all relied on Tsuna being able to try again with Yamaguchi.

“I’m a hitman, you see.” Reborn said, displaying a transformed Leon to the civilian girl.

The baby hitman blocked out the dame’s whining, instead attaching his eyes to the sudden movement that came from both Haru and Yamaguchi.

The elder boy grasped the girl’s wrist carefully, his other hand coming to hover inches away from her stomach to keep her from moving forwards and advance on Tsuna.

“Now, now Haru-chan, no need for that.” He drawled, keeping his face carefully blank when the girl rounded on him.

“Yamaguchi-kun? Why’d you stop me? He’s horrible, tainting the poor baby’s pure heart with his dirty nature!”

“How do you know it’s his fault?” He asked, spinning her around.

As they began debating, Reborn noticed the subtle movement of their bodies, more specifically Yamaguchi’s.

They were moving, just slightly, but they were swapping positions, making the boy closer to the Sky than the young girl was.

The baby hitman turned his attention to Tsuna, a smirk coming to his face when he saw the faint awed expression on the dame’s face.

Hm, maybe they still had a chance.

**|REBORN|**

* * *

 

I groaned as I relaxed into my chair, another test over, and another score waiting to be presented.

“Wow, that was a hard one, but I think I got it TO THE EXTREME!” Ryohei whispered harshly, leaning towards me as the teacher began the next topic on the board.

“Yeah, so long as you remember to keep most of the answers as surds, it’s easy.” I agreed, glancing at him, before stalling.

Ryohei’s face was frozen and his forehead began to gleam with sweat, the sound of his heartbreaking audible to the entire room.

“You…didn’t keep it in surds. Did you?” I sighed, both our heads dropping in defeat.

“Yamaguchi-san, Sasagawa-san, care to share with the class?”

Ryohei and I froze, snapping our heads to the teacher, before ducking them and mumbling apologies, glancing at each other with matching hesitant smiles.

We cracked open our workbooks and began copying down formula, diagrams and examples, ignoring the snickers passed around by our less than sympathetic classmates.

Nudging the Sasagawa child with my elbow, I tapped the little kanji in the corner of my margin.

_Study session?_

He grinned before scribbling an answer down in his own lines.

_EXTREME! Yours or mine?_

I spun my pacer for a moment, thinking about whether Kaede would mind the company, before remembering she was going to be out until late.

_Mine, kaa-san’s not gonna be there though, so I’ll cook dinner for us._

_EXTREMELY!? Can you cook one of your Western dishes again?!_

_Sure, wanna try pasta this time?_

“EXTREME!”

“Sasagawa-san, it seems that you know the answer then, please show the class.”

Oh shit.

Glancing at the board, I quickly wrote down the answer and jammed the paper into Ryohei’s book, hoping he’d take it with him.

He did, thank God.

**|S.R|**

* * *

 

Sasagawa Ryohei started in surprise when he saw the small answer wedged between the pages in his book, the way the x’s were written hinted to just who had helped him.

The pale haired boy glanced over his shoulder, looking at his brother-from-another-mother, relief written clear on his face.

Daiki had always been there for him, saving his ass from his own stupidity and recklessness.

“Anytime now, Sasagawa-san. I can assure you, the answer isn’t Yamaguchi-san.”

Daiki rolled his eyes as the class fell into a fit of giggles, before sending him a thumbs up and a slight smile.

Ryohei grinned and turned to the board, grabbing a piece of chalk and wrote down the answer.

_(x-3)(x+3)_

“Uh, well done, Sasagawa-kun. You may sit down.”

The Sun plonked his behind back down in his seat without hesitance, purposely bumping the older boy’s arm with his elbow.

Daiki shifted, relaxing into his seat as the teacher continued to write down more examples, crossing his left leg so that his knee rested on Ryohei’s thigh. This was their usual position during class, some part of their bodies touching, whether it be their arms, feet or legs.

The rest of their peers had got a kick out of it at the beginning, but once Yamamoto came into the picture, they settled down and started referring to them as their ‘ _brOTP_ ’ whatever that meant.

Girls are weird, honestly.

Ryohei tapped his pacer against his paper as his eyes trailed down to the watch on Daiki’s wrist, the taps going in time with the ticks.

**...**

“Sensei said we need to partner up, so you’ll be my EXTREME partner!” A five year old Ryohei roared, pointing to the seated boy in front of him.

“I’d rather no-Hey!”

The Sun paid the boy no mind as he dragged him over to a little table, another pair already seated and discussing ideas.

The Sasagawa child forced the older boy to sit before dropping into the little chair beside him, leaning forwards excitedly.

“So, what did the teacher ask us to do again?!”

The boy before him placed his hand on his face, before sighing and going through the instructions again.

“Sensei told us to decorate a hat together, we have the paper, instructions, feathers and scissors here.” He breathed, pointing to the pile dropped in the middle of the table.

“Okay! Let’s get started, TO THE EXTREME!”

The blue haired boy groaned before collecting bits of everything for his self-proclaimed partner, his lip pulled into a slight frown.

“So, what do we want to make it look like?” He asked, turning to Ryohei.

“I have no EXTREME idea!”

“…” He stared at him blankly for a moment, before slumping, a little smile barely hidden by the shadow cover his face.

The young Dun tilted his head when a splurge of unfamiliar noises came from the boy.

What on earth did _‘he’s so fucking cute’_ mean? Could you eat it?

“Okay, why don’t we make a crown then?”

Ryohei’s grin brightened, making the boy in front of him rub his eyes for some reason, before he nodded.

“Yeah! Yeah! We’ll be EXTREME kings!”

“We’re only making one hat Ryohei.” He sighed, pulling a piece of yellow paper from the pile.

“Eh? But that means one of us won’t get a crown!”

The blue haired boy shrugged, grabbing some safety scissors, before patting the little Sun on the shoulder.

“It’s fine, you can be the king.”

The two boys fiddled with the paper, following the elder’s plan for the design. It was simple, as expected of children their age, and more than a little messy, but Ryohei was proud of it.

“Wow, that’s really good, Ryohei-kun, Daiki-kun.” The teacher cooed, looking over their shoulder.

“TO THE EXTREME! So Daiki is your EXTREME name!” The Sun roared, leaning closer to the boy.

“Yes, Yamaguchi Daiki.” He answered, leaning further away in response.

“I’m Sasagawa Ryohei, TO THE EXTREME!”

Ryohei blinked when Daiki’s face jumped through a rainbow expressions, before slamming to a stop on carefully blank.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” He asked, reaching out to poke Daiki’s cheek.

“Wow.”

Ryohei reached out with both hands and squish both sides of the other boy’s face, a grin spreading across again.

“Wow! Your cheeks are EXTREMELY soft!”

“Pwese wet go.”  He tried, hand coming to pry away Ryohei’s.

Holding both of the pale haired boy’s wrists in one hand, he pushed them to the table, before fitting the crown to the size of his head and walked off to get the paper stapled.

Ryohei watched quietly as a small team of children shifted to the side for the boy, shying away from his glance.

“Hey, Sasagawa-kun, why’re you talking to him? He’s _weird_.” One of the boys from the pair sitting with them asked, leaning towards him as he shielded his mouth.

“Eh, what do you mean TO THE EXTREME!?” Ryohei asked, tilting his head.

“Ssssh! Don’t yell, he’ll hear us!” He whispered harshly, sending the blue haired boy a glance.

“He’s really weird! He talks like my dad does, and he never smiles! Kaa-san says smiling is good, so he must be a bad!”

The little Sun glanced over to the boy and he couldn’t help but be confused, squinting as he scanned Daiki’s face.

“What are you talking about? He’s smiling! It’s obvious TO THE EXTREME!” He said, pointing to the boy standing at the teacher’s desk, stapler in hand.

“Quiet! He’ll hear you!”

Both boys turned their heads to Daiki to check that they were still in the clear, the boy from the other pair freezing, and Ryohei waving when they saw him staring at them with a flat expression.

“Here you go, Sasagawa-san.” He said, propping the crown on his head.

Ryohei grinned, his hand coming to stabilise his crown as he watched Daiki clear their table, walking to the bin before turning his attention to the teacher who intercepted him. He tilted his head as the blue haired boy talked quietly to her, before frowning.

Yeah, Daiki was defiantly smiling. How could he not see it?

“Are you EXTREMELY sure he’s not smiling?” Ryohei asked, nudging the boy.

He glances at the Sun before looking back at his half done hat, ignoring all of Ryohei’s urging.

**...**

“Hey Daiki-kun! Let’s play TO THE EXTREME!”

Daiki looked up from his book, an annoyed expression pulling at his face.

“You’ve been following me around for the past week, Sasagawa-san, what do you want?”

“I wanna be EXTREME friends!”

“No.”

Ryohei crouched in front of him, a pout obvious on his face.

“Eh? Why not?”

The boy was about to say something scathing, before snapping his jaw shut and standing.

“I don’t need to give you a reason.” He said, walking off.

Ryohei watched him go, his brow frowning as his eyes latched on the tight grip Daiki had on his book, before a grin split his face.

“Yamaguchi Daiki!” He roared, making the boy, and everyone else in the playground, turn to him.

Ryohei pointed at him, squared his shoulders and spaced his feet, before continuing his declaration.

“By the end of the EXTREME year, you and I will be EXTREME friends! TO THE EXTREME!”

Every day after that, Ryohei would make a point of singling out the boy. Ambushing him at every turn and bend, going as far as hanging from the ceiling fan once to jump him when Daiki went to return a book to the shelf.

_“Daiki-kun! Be my EXTREME friend!”_

_“Oh, for the love of lily pads – NO!”_

Neither of them know when it happened, but at some point, they had started some sort of war that no one else was allowed to touch.

If a teacher asked Ryohei to stop annoying Daiki, the older boy would say they were playing, and if someone spoke badly about Daiki, Ryohei would come down on them like a ton of bricks.

They don’t know when it started, but they ate together during breaks, Ryohei sitting a metre away, then an arm’s length, then they were leaning on each other in their sleep.

First they were yelling, then they were harshly talking, then they were trading secrets into each other’s ears, snickering at the other’s expense.

Slowly they had integrated into each other’s life and had moulded their actions around the other, accommodating each of their quirks and making up for shortcomings.

“We’ve got to go to elementary school next year, where are you going?” Daiki asked on the last day of school, sucking on his lolly.

“Namimori Elementary, where else?” Ryohei laughed, teeth clacking against his own sucker.

“Hm, same.”

“Oh yeah, and Daiki-kun?”

“Yes, Sasagawa-kun?”

“I win.”

**...**

“Oi, Ryohei-kun! Stop looking at me like that, I’m getting the creeps.” Daiki scowled, pressing his workbook to Ryohei’s face.

“Aw c’mon Daiki-kun, my face is EXTREMELY good looking!”

“Ah, that must be why you haven’t ever had a girlfriend in your life.”

“Low blow, Daiki-kun. Low blow.”

“You two!”

Both of the boys jumped and sat back straight, heads down and scribbling equations into their books.

“Sorry, sensei!” They yelped, grimacing when they both got taps on the head from a book.

“Partners in crime, you two, I swear.” The teacher sighed, before going back to his desk.

Daiki and Ryohei glanced at each other before snickering, their hands flying to their mouths as they tried to write legibly.

Oh, if only he knew.

**|S.R|**

* * *

 

I yawned as Ryohei and I walked from the classroom, just barely dodging a detention.

“So, we head over to my house and have dinner?”

“That’s the EXTREME plan!” He roared, clapping me on the back.

Stopping for a moment, I noticed my pocket buzz with my phone going off.

“Hey, Ryohei-kun, stop for a sec. Someone’s calling me – Hello?”

_“Ah, hi shujin-kun!”_

“Oh, hey Takeshi-kun. What’s up, you got your score yet?” I asked, moving with Ryohei to the gates.

_“Yeah, about that actually…I failed.”_

My pause made my partner stop as well, before he signalled that he was going to talk to Kyoko and ran off at my nod.

_“I got 20%! More than last time!”_

“Takeshi-kun…20% isn’t all that great, still.” I sighed, glancing around at the flow of students.

_“I know, but I have to retake the test tomorrow! So, can you and I have a study session?”_

Oh damn.

“I’m actually having Ryohei-kun over tonight – give me a sec.” Turning away from the phone, I looked to where the Sun was standing and hollered loudly.

“Oi Ryohei-kun! Do you mind if Takeshi-kun comes!?”

He paused for a moment before nodding and shouting: “ _HE’S EXTREMELY WELCOME!_ ”

“Yep, you can come. He’s fine with it, we were just gonna study anyway.” I said into the phone.

There was silence for a moment, the faint breathing the only thing that told me that the Rain was still on the line.

“ _Okay, I’ll come around a bit later. See you then, love you!_ ”

I stood quietly stunned as the line cut off, the deep constant beeping going off in my ear.

“Oi, Daiki-kun? What’s EXTREMELY wrong?” Ryohei asked, leaning around to look at my face.

“He…He said _‘love you’_ …”

“YOU'RE EXTREMELY BLUSHING!”

“Shut up.”

* * *

 

Ryohei and I sat on the floor, leaning back on the couch as we watched another episode of Doraemon on the television.

Taking a synchronised sip of juice, we let out a sigh before waiting for the opening to finish.

“I remember this being more engaging.” I muttered.

“WHAT EXTREME MACHINE IS THAT?!”

Looking at Ryohei with a flat expression, I watched as he leaned closer to the screen completely engrossed in the show meant for children.

“EXTREME! VOICE CANDY!” He roared, throwing his hands up.

I sat in silence as the sticky liquid rained down on me, my white shirt slowly turning orange and see through.

This, kids, is why we wear undershirts.

“…”

“I’m gonna have a bath.” I sighed, before punching the boy in the side, his body crumbling to the floor as he wheezed out an apology.

Grabbing a bundle of clothes from my room, I slipped a spare binder between the layers before grabbing a towel and walking into the bathroom. Dropping my stuff on the toilet seat lid, I got the shower running before dropping my pants and shedding my first shirt.

I heard the harsh thumps of footsteps before the bathroom door was flung open, Ryohei standing in its wake with a huge grin on his face, arms crossed and feet spaced.

“DAIKI-KUN! LET’S TAKE A BATH TOGETHER!”

_Holy mother of Jesus!_

“Ryohei-kun,” I started, looking at him as my face slowly darkened into a glare. ”Cover that up, before I cut it off.”

“But Daiki-kun! We’re both EXTREME men, so it doesn’t matter! Besides, they do it in manga all the time!” He declared, putting his hand on his hips.

_Eyes up, Daiki. Don’t subject yourself to that hell._

“Wait…what manga are you reading?” I asked slowly, suspicion bubbling to life.

“A friend of our Imouto gave her a manga for her birthday this year! It was about two EXTREME friends and how they bonded! A lot!” He let out a hearty laugh as he threw his head back.

…

……

How should I break this to him…?

“Ryohei-kun, by any chance, did one of the two _friends_ have an _extremely_ defined jaw and was significantly more masculine than the other?”

Let’s go with the classics, shall we?

“EXTREME! Are you a mind reader Daiki-kun?!”

“No! Stop! Don’t come closer-just-just stay over there!”

“But Daiki-kun!”

“Put some clothes on _TO THE EXTREME!_ ”

**_BANG!_ **

“Now where was I…Ah yeah-”

_Holy mother of Jesus! What the hell?! Ah! My eyes! My soul! No!_

“I feel violated.” I muttered, slumping against the door, my hand coming up to lock the door three times, just to make sure.

Moving away from the door, I stripped off the last white shirt, before I began the true fight.

Getting the binder off.

Pray for me.

…

_Wait, Kyoko reads yaoi?!_

* * *

**|Y.T|**  

Yamamoto Takeshi hummed to himself as he walked back to his home, intent on telling his father his plans for the evening and take some sushi to his fiancé’s house. He _had_ hoped it would just be the two of them, but it's common knowledge that you had to get their significant other’s friends to like you as well to make the relationship work!

“And besides, shujin-kun promised to marry me as long as _I_ don’t move on.” The young Rain laughed quietly, before pausing when he saw the familiar visage of his friend ahead of him.

Tsuna always had something new and interesting going on around him, something always ready to get Takeshi’s blood pumping and his mind racing. That made the young Rain follow after him, the desire for the strange and dangerous constantly being peaked as more and more days past in his company. His friendship, and the others that came with it, was a welcome bonus to the thrill he experienced.

What would happen if two strangers came together?

Takeshi thought back to class and smiled when he remembered the boy was much in the same boat as him, required to take another test.

His Daiki wouldn’t mind…

“Yo, Tsuna-san!” The young Rain called, tapping the smaller boy on the shoulder, making him turn.

“Do you want to the homework together? It’ll be a lot faster, the more people there are!”

“Yeah, sure!” Tsunayoshi agreed, perhaps a little too quickly.

_“Then let’s do it at our house.”_

Both first years sent each other confused glances before scanning the area for the noise, eventually focussing on the plants next to them.

Takeshi managed to keep his expression the same when a familiar baby emerged from the ground, turning to face them through foliage.

“Yo!” He greeted, smiling as interesting things took place, just as he had wanted.

“Why are you choosing where we do our homework?!” Tsuna asked, crouching slightly.

“Because I’m your tutor.”

“Ah, actually,” The smiling Rain started, raising his hand to draw attention to himself. “I have an upperclassmen who is willing to help us, and was going to go to their house.”

“Oh? And who would that be?” The little baby asked, looking up at the tall teen.

“My fiancé, Yamaguchi Daiki!”

“Eh!? Fiancé!?” Tsuna’s jaw dropped as he stared at the young Rain with wide eyes.

Reborn became quiet for a moment, before Leon transformed into a phone, letting him send the new arrangements to Gokudera.

“Very well then, I’ve invited Gokudera-san. He’ll meet us at the bakery.”

Takeshi grinned, suddenly wondering if Daiki would _really_ mind the sudden influx of people coming to his house.

“I wonder if Daiki will get mad at me…” He muttered as Tsuna started to yell at Reborn, before shrugging.

“Nah, he loves me too much.”

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

“Yes! Finally!” I hissed harshly, throwing my hands up in victory.

With my binder finally back on, I shuffled over and pulled on a dark blue shirt, before throwing my legs through a pair of track pants, pulling the string tight.

I sighed as I walked back into the living room, Ryohei, thankfully dressed, laying on his stomach on the floor, having a deep conversation with Mephisto.

“I wonder if you can understand us. What do you see, Miphy? Dogs can only see in black and white, right? Does that feel lonely? Having no colour in your life?” He sighed, before slowly drawing his finger to Mephisto’s nose with a quiet ‘boop’.

He must have grabbed some his clothes that he leaves in my room a lot, always forgetting to take them home after a sleepover. His uniform replaced by a white, long sleeved shirt and grey, baggy pants.

A slight smirk came to my face as I made a large arc around him, keeping my feet light until I was just behind the young Sun and took a deep breath.

“SASAGAWA RYOHEI!”

“YES! KAA-SAN!?”

I bit my lip when we made eye contact, snickers falling from them as his eyes slowly narrowed into slits.

“Daiki-kun?”

“Yes, Ryohei-kun?” I responded, stuttering hisses escaping as laughs.

“You made an EXTREMELY big mistake.”

“Ah that reminds me, you’re kinda small.” Was my answer, pointing southwards.

“DAIKI-KUN!” He roared, leaping at me.

“And that’s the door!” I laughed, dodging under his attack and running out of the room.

Rubbing my hair with my towel, I called out that I had heard as I approached the door, opening it as I let the fluffy material fall around my neck.

“Hey Takesh- shit.”

I stared at the three other males standing in my door, each of them wearing different expressions.

“Eh? Yamamoto-kun, did you multiply TO THE EXTREME?” Ryohei asked, coming up from behind me.

“No, no! Tsuna-san needs tutoring as well, and Gokudera-san is really smart so he could help! You don’t mind, do you Daiki-kun?” Takeshi asked, clapping his hands together and leaning forwards.

“No, I suppose not.” I deadpanned.

_I care immensely._

“C’mon in, we haven’t started yet.” I called, stepping out of the way.

“Sorry for the intrusion.” They muttered, before the young Rain turned to me.

“Hey Daiki-kun, where’s Kaede-kaa-san?”

“Kaa-san is gone until late, I have no idea when she’s coming back.” I shrugged before closing the door behind them.

“Ah yeah! Gokudera-kun, I haven’t introduced you yet!”

I was just about to correct the younger boy, when he grabbed me and wrapped himself around my arm.

“Gokudera-kun, this is my husband, Daiki-kun!”

_“HUSBAND!?”_

A sigh escaped me, before I nodded to the silver haired teen, submitting to the young Rain’s will.

“Hello again, little one.” I breathed, before petting Takeshi’s head and parting from the group the clear the coffee table.

“So,” I started, everyone sat down and their books out. “Takeshi-kun here tells me that two of you have to retake a test. Am I correct?”

“Y-yeah.” Tsuna deflated, looking down at his paper.

“Okay then, what’s the topic, and what do you have trouble with?”

“Algebra, and most of it.” Takeshi laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

“Same for me.”

Ryohei and I glanced at each other before shrugging, Ryohei rummaging through his bag for his plethora of notes as I motioned the boys to come closer.

“Okay, show us your books, we’ll work fro-” My jaw clicked shut when I saw both their books, the boys fidgeting at my sudden silence.

“Takeshi-kun, less game plans, more diagrams. Sawada-san, less doodling, more writing.” I stated simply, taking a certain joy in how they flinched.

I flipped through their books, reading between their scribbles to scan their limited copying and exercises. Shutting them both, I stood from the table and walked into my room.

Rummaging through a box under my desk, I pulled two thick grid books out and moved back to the living room, dropping them in front of the two children.

“Use these from now on, you’ve damaged the others beyond repair. You should never draw on thin paper with white board marker, or permanent marker.” Their heads ducked as I dropped back next to Ryohei, who was snickering.

“Hey! You have no right to say that to the Tenth!” Gokudera snapped, standing sharply.

I let a frown fall onto my face, leaning back on my hands to look at him lazily.

“Careful, little one, you’re in my territory now.”

_“He’s right you know, a Mafioso should always be wary in other’s territory.”_

Oh God, sure Reborn, turn this into a Mafia lesson.

“Eh? Where’s that come from TO THE EXTREME!?” Ryohei roared, his head snapping to every angle.

Glancing around, I watched the others look for the baby hitman in equal confusion.

“Mafioso?” I asked, a little sadistic flicker coming to life when Tsuna paled exponentially.

“Uh-that! He doesn’t mean _Mafioso_ -Mafioso, he means-ah!”

“We’re playing this Mafia roleplay game a lot, and Tsuna-san’s the Boss!” Takeshi laughed, throwing his thumb over his shoulder at the young Vongola.

“Oh?” I breathed, sending Tsuna a glance before smiling.

“Sounds like fun.”

“Do you wanna join?” He asked, leaning towards me.

Oh _GOD_ no!

“No thank you, Takeshi-kun.”

“Ah, Daiki-kun, can we talk about how your house is EXTREMELY haunted!?” Ryohei urged, yanking at my sleeve.

“Really Ryohei, are you still scared of ghosts?”

“Hey! You’re the one who _made_ me scared of them! TO THE EXTREME!”

“It was _one_ Goosebumps episode, it wasn’t even one of that really scary ones!”

_“The amount of time it has taken to find me is quite worrying, maybe I need to step up your training, Tsuna-kun.”_

“ _HIEEEEEi!_ Please no!”

Letting out a long sigh, I closed my eyes and searched.

…

When the hell…?

Standing carefully, I grabbed the television and pulled, the large box sliding along the wall as if it were on wheels, revealing Reborn seated in the wall.

“Reborn-san, why are you in my wall?”

“I’m Tsuna-kun’s tutor.”

I stared at him, my face deadpanned, before sighing a stepping to the side, letting him jump out of the hollow and land on the couch.

“When in other’s territory, a Mafioso should respect the Boss of that place, even if they themselves is a Boss. It’s common courtesy. That being said, you shouldn’t accept blatant insult, and uphold your image.” Reborn lectured, seating himself down.

“Sure…” I muttered before turning back to the students at the table.

“Let’s get started then, shall we?”

I read Takeshi’s work and sighed, handing him back the paper with a smile as I adjusted my glasses.

“If you managed yourself better you’d be an amazing all-rounder, Takeshi-kun.”

Tsuna had been literally slumped over the same question for roughly three minutes, half of the working done for the first one.

“It’s pretty easy, after I read the textbook. I don’t get question seven though.”

“Hahaha! You’re still an idiot, Yamamoto-san! Right, Tenth?”

The little sound he made when he saw Tsuna’s face made me suck on the back of my teeth to hold in a laugh, his own expression adding to the scene.

“I don’t even care about the seventh, I don’t get most of these.”

“Uh…Show your power by solving question seven in no time!”

Ryohei and I shared a glance, our own homework sitting in our bags completed and self-marked, leaving us to the mercy of year 7 maths.

As Tsuna rattled off the question, I slowly pieced together the scene taking place as told by the paper, a frown slowly stretching when it rung bells.

That doesn’t make sense…why would…

“Hey, you three are all in the same class right?”

“Yeah.” Takeshi nodded, the other boys pausing their melt down.

“Who teaches you the core’s?”

“Ah, Nezu-sensei. Why?” The young Vongola asked, lowering his paper.

Oh, okay then.

“It’s a trick question.”

“Huh!?” They yelled, leaning forwards.

“There’s no way you can mathematically work that out. That sort of question brings a whole bunch of physics and other too complicated stuff into account. The only real answer you could give is _they’re glued_ or _they’re being held together by something_ , and even then, that’s just in theory.” I shrugged, taking a sip of juice, Ryohei’s on the other side of the table.

“Nezu-sensei likes to make it obvious who is smart and who is falling short by throwing in these sorts of questions, but _man_ , that’s a hard one.”

“Well, in that case, I’m done!” Takeshi grinned, scribbling down ‘ _not possible_ ’, before folding the sheet and sliding it into the book I had given him.

“Good, help Sawada-san out- _don’t_ use onomatopoeia, please sweetheart.” I sighed, standing up and cracking my back before dropping my glasses on the table.

“I’ll get dinner started, Ryohei-kun, make sure they don’t break anything.”

“You got it.”

Humming, I walked into the kitchen, before letting out a groan.

“They’re everywhere.”

“Oh, hello again. I’ve just finished making everyone snacks.” Bianchi said, holding a plate of rather _hostile_ looking biscuits.

“Ryohei-kun, clear the couch!” I called, before letting her pass, the sound of Gokudera collapsing obvious as the room broke out into chaos.

“Jesus, now I have to make the pasta well, I’ve got some real deals here.” I sighed, before grabbing a pot out from a cupboard and starting the process.

I slipped on my mother’s floral apron and rolled up my sleeves, the sounds of hell only a little worrying as they resounded from the room behind me.

As long as they don’t break anything.

_“Haru is here to save Reborn-chan from you dirty boys!”_

**_CRASH!_ **

_“I have EXTREMELY failed you, Daiki-kun!”_

**_BANG-RIP!_ **

_“Again…”_

…

……

I hate the Mafia.


	10. Chapter 10

**Word Count: 10,072**

* * *

 

“Hibari-san, you  _ are  _ aware that I am part of the boxing club, right?”

 

“I know.”

 

“Oh, really? Great, then, please explain to me  _ why _ I’m having to sit in on this meeting. Specifically where  _ you’re  _ meant to be sitting?”

 

“I hate crowding.”

 

I gave a groan and rubbed my face, before pushing my glasses up to pin back my fringe.

 

The morning so far, had been less than desirable.

 

Apparently, Lambo had taken up permanent lodging in my house, and now shared a room with me upon my mother’s order. Now, that wouldn’t be all that bad, Lambo was a bit of a handful, but not incredibly so, if only he didn’t throw a tantrum and keep distracting us when we’re trying to bake in the morning.

 

I glanced down at the irritated burn on my elbow, caused by the little baby bumping into me when I tried to take the baguettes out of the oven.

 

Kaede now allowed me to put Lambo in the time-out corner when I saw fit.

 

Of course, I could have healed the burn, but just flashing the reddened skin made Lambo quiet down. A bit mean, but hey, if it works, use it.

 

I let out a loud sigh as the upperclassmen started filing in, sending me confused glances before dropping their gazes.

 

Um…

 

Blinking, I looked up when a shadow was cast over me, sending the looming skylark a flat expression.

 

“The handout.” He stated shortly, draping the sheet over my face before retreating.

 

“Thanks, birdy- OW! Stop! Geez, I’m sorry!”

 

The meeting continued with me nursing a bump on my head the older students sending us worried glances.

 

“Okay, so on the print-out are the rooms assigned for the second semester’s committees.”

 

That actually, really hurt. Can I heal it?

 

I did a quick scan, slumping when I felt Reborn a level below me.

 

Guess not then.

 

“Hey, that’s not fair! Says here that someone’s using the reception room! Who is it?”

 

I glanced down from the ceiling to look at the paper, a small frown on my face. Isn’t the reception room reserved for-

 

_ “Do you have a problem?” _

 

The Discipline committee. Of course.

 

I let my head fall back so that I was looking at the lazing skylark upside down, raising an eyebrow at him when the poor girl squeaked out an apology.

 

The Cloud sent me a glare, before kicking me back into an upright position, the back of my head throbbing slightly.

 

“Stop that, Chattering Herbivore.”

 

“But I’m bored.” I whined leaning on my knuckle.

 

“We’re against the Disciplinary Committee getting special treatment!” A brave little boy spoke up.

 

“Completely against it!”

 

Okay, maybe not so brave… More like stupid. Or idiotic.  Take your pick.

 

“Um…question?” I called, raising my hand hesitantly.

 

“Yes?” A girl from across from me asked.

 

“There’s only meant to be one representative per committee, right? Why are there so many from the…what are you again?”

 

‘’We’re the Tree Planting Committee!”

 

“And we’re different, we have to deal with things like global warming.”

 

“Yeah, we’re very conscious, aren’t we?”

 

“Yes.” They chorused together.

 

“That… doesn’t answer my question.” I sighed, before freezing.

 

There was a Flame spike.

 

It felt different, not like something I had experienced before. Still the same warmth that came with the presence of a Flame, but – I don’t know – its shape was different, almost.

If sun flames were  _ blunter _ than this, more flat. These Flames had a certain pang to it, more concentration.

 

Closing my eyes, I tried to locate it. It was  _ amazingly _ close practically behind…

 

Well damn.

 

Hey’a Cloud Flames, how ya doin’?

 

I frowned at the flames moved, footsteps resounding in my ears as the possessor approached.

 

The Flames were strong, but seemed to be dying down from their previous fluctuation, their fuel gone.

 

Ah, Hibari must have calmed down a bit then.

 

The tongues of purple circled my own little bonfire of yellow, before suddenly shifting just as a weight sank onto my lap.

 

Snapping my eyes open, I saw the empty meeting room, then felt the warmth of a body pressing against my abdomen, hair brushing my neck.

 

“Don’t move.”

 

Shit.

 

“If I wake up, I’ll bite you to death. Remember, even a leaf falling can awaken me.”

 

Double shit.

 

“Hibari-san?”

 

“What?”

 

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

 

“Too bad.”

 

Triple shit.

* * *

 

“He’s so mean to me!” I whined, planting my face into Ryohei’s back as he slumped on his table, his laughter becoming silent from the lack of air left in his lungs.

 

“HE SAT ON YOU!? SO THAT’S EXTREMELY WHY YOU DIDN’T COME TO CLASS!? HAHAHA!”

 

“You’re a terrible person.”

 

“H-HE SAT ON YO-O-OU! HAHAHA-hmph!”

 

“Choke. Choke. Choke.” I chanted, pushing the bread role further into his mouth.

 

_ “Yamaguchi-san?” _

 

I looked over my shoulder with a growl, glaring blatantly at the pompadour sporting trio of boys.

 

“What do you want, Disciplinary Committee?”

 

“Hibari-sama demands your presence. Now.”

 

“And if I don’t go?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

 

“He’ll come get you himself.”

 

I gave a loud sigh, pushing Ryohei off his chair, before standing and walking out of the room, the pompadour trio following close behind.

 

“He is in the staffroom. The teachers have work for him to complete.”

 

“And how does that involve me?”

 

_ “You’re going to carry them for me.” _

 

I paused at the door of the staff room, staring at the Cloud with a flat expression. Crossing my arms, I shifted my weight and raised an eyebrow at him, expressing my opinion of this situation through my face.

 

“And why does that task fall to me, Hibari-san?”

 

“Because I said so.” He answered bluntly, before three large boxes were shoved into my arms, muscles tensing at the sudden weight.

 

“A-are you sure he’ll be okay carrying those, Hibari-san?” One of the teachers asked.

 

“Yeah, they’re pretty heavy, I mean, one’s pretty tiring.”

 

“He’ll be fine.” The Cloud brushed off their worries before turning and starting down the hall, leaving me to juggle the boxes.

 

“You should feel honoured, Hibari-sama asked for you by name.” On of Hibari’s boys said as he walked, most of them grouping around me rather than the skylark.

 

Now, whether that were in case I lost control of my load, or because they would definitely die if they were to step into Hibari’s little bubble, was up to debate.

 

“Oh really? I thought he’d have forgotten my name, since I’ve only heard him say it once. And that was, like, three years ago. Give or take a few months.” I hummed, smiling at the skylark when he glared over his shoulder.

 

“Get ahead of us, clear space for the Herbivore to put the boxes down.” He ordered, the pompadour-ed boys scrambling to follow his order.

 

Now, I was alone with him.

 

Again.

 

Shit, he better not try and sit on these boxes.

 

I’ll drop them  _ and him _ out a window if he does.

 

I swear on me mu-OW!

 

“Why’d you do that?!” I squawked, bringing my shoulder up to protect my new wound.

 

Damned birdy had just  _ bit me _ for  _ no reason! _ Who does that!?

 

I grimaced as something wet trailed down into my shirt, hopefully blood, I didn’t want Hibari spit on me all day.

 

“Another win to me.” He stated, before walking around me and back towards the reception room.

 

“That doesn’t count!” I yelled, groaning when he ignored me.

 

Son of a bitch.

 

Next time he tries to use me as a tree, I’ll drop him. I swear.

 

I tensed as the sounds of shouting reached my ears, stopping my feet when Hibari raised his hand just before the door.

 

_ “You dare defy a Disciplinary Committee member?” _

 

I sucked on the back of my teeth as a rather painful sounding collision took place, followed by a loud thud.

 

This is familiar… It must be the boys then.

 

_ “Well then, it can’t be helped.” _

 

What do you mean ‘it can’t be helped’?! There is literally almost- you just wanna fight, don’t you?

 

From the sound of added punching, I would have appeared to be right. They were having way too much fun with this.

 

I gave a quiet sigh, before crouching and placing the boxes down next to the wall, Hibari’s fists jumping as the sounds of a fight got him excited.

 

_ “Are you done?” _

 

_ “Yeah.” _

 

Poor pompadour boys, they didn’t deserve that hell.

 

Raising an eyebrow, I watched as Hibari situated himself against the door frame, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he observed his new targets.

 

“Those watchdogs are useless.” He sighed, the hand closest to me fingering the handle of his tonfa.

 

“Who are you?” The skylark asked, pulling a sigh from me.

 

Oh, so he  _ doesn’t _ remember whose party he gate crashed?

 

Actually, he might have done that to a lot of parties.

 

...Rude.

 

_ “He’s Hibari Kyoya.” _

 

Shifting, I leaned against the wall, letting the situation play out. Reborn had said something about real life training, and personally, I think they’re going to need as much of that as they can get.

 

“Family? What kind of crowding is that?”

 

The kind that you can’t pick and choose, birdy.

 

“ _ Crowding? Whatever, just get- _ ”

 

Tonfa.

 

My body tensed when the familiar flash of metal cut through the air, before the smell of coffee hit me as ceramics shattered on the floor. Letting out a breath as the skylark walked into the room, I slid down the wall to sit on one of the boxes, listening to the grunts and contact that sounded from the room.

 

After a few moments, there was quiet and talking took the place of battle sounds. The familiar voices drifting through the open door.

 

“ _ What are you doing? _ ”

 

_ “I’m cleaning up.” _

 

Wait, what was he doing at that point. It was something dangerous, wasn’t it…

 

Oh yeah, he was gonna drop them out a –  _ A WINDOW!? _

 

I jumped for a moment, but clamped my hands down on the box, forcing my body to remain seated.

 

They’ll be fine. Reborn planned all or this. He won’t let them sustain grievous injury.

 

_ “REBORN! I’LL BEAT YOU WITH MY DYING WILL!” _

 

See? They’ll be fine. Settle.

 

Letting out a breath, I leaned forwards onto my knees, pulling out my phone when I felt it buzz.

 

_ From: Kaa-san _

_ Can you get milk on the way home? _

 

_ To: Kaa-san _

_ Sure. Anything else? _

 

_ From: Kaa-san _

_ No, thank you dear. _

 

I looked up from the screen as the room shook from an explosion, smoke escaping from the door. Quickly, I typed another text to Hibari’s right-hand.

 

_ To: Kusakabe _

_ Get a team of DC boys up to the reception room. Clean up required. _

 

_ From: Kusakabe _

_ Who won this time? _

 

_ To: Kusakabe _

_ Not my fault. Intruders. Dealt with. _

_ Now get up here. _

 

Closing my phone, I looked up to the door as Hibari stumbled out, looking worse for wear. Pulling out my handkerchief, I reached out and offered it to him, keeping my own face blank.

 

“Hankey?”

 

“…Hn.”

* * *

 

I yawned as I flipped the page of the morning paper, the lack of talk about all the recent noise unsurprising.

 

Taking off my glasses, I polished the lens against my shirt before donning them again, blinking when I found them clearer.

 

Apparently, it was going to be sunny for the rest of the week.

 

That’s it.

 

Nothing ever happens in Namimori, well, nothing that ever comes to light.

 

The bell rung through the quiet shop, making me look up from a particularly intriguing article about the process of paint drying.

 

When I found no one there, I placed the paper down and leaned over the counter as I normally did with our smaller customers.

 

I wonder if I should install a step for the children…

 

_ “Ni hao!” _

 

Blinking down at the little thing, kneeling on the floor before the register, I flipped the word through my head before smiling when it clicked.

 

“Good morning, how can I help you?” I asked, recognising the little child.

 

She rummaged through her pocket, before pulling out a little red purse and pointing to a small cheese and bacon roll.

 

“Please?” She asked in accented Japanese.

 

“Sure, here you go.”

 

Little I-pin took the roll graciously, handing me back the payment, taking a bit and cooing happily at the warm bread.

 

“Is that all?” I asked, leaning on my forearms and watching her over the frame of my lenses.

 

“Ah! You recognise this man?” She perked up, pulling a polaroid out of her pocket.

 

“Here, come onto the counter.”

 

She paused before jumping up into the surface, giving me a better look at the man in the photo.

I frowned, wondering if the man could be related to Gianni with his head’s shape, before turning to the little girl and shaking my head.

 

“Sorry, I don’t recognise this man.”

 

“Okay, thank you.” She sighed, before bowing and leaping off the counter.

 

“Wish I could have been more help. I hope you enjoy, come again.”

* * *

 

Leaning on my broom, I stared out a window with a bored expression, watching as I-pin quickly scoffed down twice her body weight in dumplings.

 

The door to the roof opened and Tsuna’s hair was the first thing to peek out of the frame, giving the little girl time to go into a stance, chewing on the last of her meal.

 

From the distance I was at, I could see just about everything, but could hear nothing, unsurprisingly. Sound, however, seemed to be unneeded, as the visage of a noodle-y Tsuna was amusing enough to make my lip twitch.

 

Oh look, there’s Kyoko.

 

Holy shit- that kid moves fast!

 

Careful Tsuna, you nearly made my little sister flash. I’d have to kill you for that.

 

Oh, hey Gokudera.

 

Just how light is I-pin? They are literally tossing her around like a ball!

 

Ello, Takeshi, welcome to the party.

 

_ “Catcher! Back home!” _

 

I may or may not have found that funnier than I should have.

 

Slapping a hand over my mouth, I slid down the pole of my broom, body shaking from laughter as screams continued to sound from the outside.

 

“Fucking hell! They’re idiots!” I laughed, leaning against the wall as I wrapped my arms around my stomach.

 

“A-ah, Daiki-kun? You okay there?” Ryohei asked, pausing his extreme sweeping.

 

“T-t-they’re all such f-fucking idiots!” I hissed out, falling onto my side as another wave of laughter racked through me.

 

_ “Ah, someone help? Anyone? Wait! No, don’t leave me here! EXTREME! DON’T LEAVE ME WITH HIM TO THE EXTREME!” _

 

I took a deep breath before letting out another round, vaguely aware of Ryohei poking me with the end of his pole.

* * *

 

“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

 

I gave a groan and pulled my pillow over my head, desperately trying to block out the shouts emitting from the little cow jumping on my stomach.

 

“Let’s play at Reborn’s house! Reborn’s house! Reborn’s house!”

 

“Go away Lambo-kun. And the house belongs to Sawada-san, not Reborn-san.”

 

The  _ one _ day I get to sleep in, and mum leaves me to look after this little shit.

 

“I wanna go to Reborn’s house! I wanna go!”

 

“Get out, Lambo-kun.”

 

“Please!? Please!?”

 

I let out a quiet scream as my phone went off, adding to the noise of the room and waking me up fully.

 

“What?” I growled, my voice coming out stuttered from the impact of Lambo’s jumps.

 

_ “Wow, shujin-kun, are you okay? You sound pretty angry.” _

 

“Yeah, just a bit cranky.” I sighed, before looking down at Lambo as he continued to use my gut as a trampoline.

 

“What did you want?”

 

_ “Gokudera-kun and I are going over to Tsuna’s house, do you wanna come?!” _

 

“Why would I want to go to his hou-Hey!”

 

“Eh! You’re going to Reborn’s house!?” Lambo screamed into the phone, now in his little mitts.

 

“Uh-huh! Lambo-san will come!”

 

I lunged forwards and snatched the phone back giving the young boy and gentle tap on the head.

 

_ “How about you, Daiki-kun? Are you coming?” _

 

“No thanks, Sawada-san and I aren’t nearly close enough for surprise visits. I’ll drop Lambo off though, 

see you then.”

 

_ “Okay! Love you!” _

 

I paused, noticing he hadn’t hung up yet.

 

Shit.

 

“Uh…yeah…Love you too- Did you just squeal?”

 

_ “Yes! No! Bye!” _

 

…

 

“Okay Lambo-kun, brush your teeth and wash your face. I’ll drop you off at the Sawada’s.” I sighed, removing myself from my warm bed.

* * *

 

**|M.H|**

Miura Haru leant around the corner as she watched Yamaguchi exit his house, the little baby Lambo bouncing out after him.

 

“Now, both Takeshi-kun and Nana-san have my number, so when you want to come home, just ask them to ring me, okay?” He asked, locking the door behind him, before bending and scooping up the cow print covered infant.

 

“Okay!”

 

Haru sighed as she watched the older boy let the child in his arms play with his glasses, a small smile on his face.

 

He was so mature and mild-mannered, he knew how to look after a child and how to treat them gently, keeping their pure hearts protected from the dirt they could encounter.

 

Haru was certain that she could lead a happy life with Yamaguchi, their house would always smell of the fresh bread they make every morning, and their garden would be blooming all year round. He was obviously a family man, so they would have at least three children by their fifth year together. Two boys and a girl, the boys being taught to protect their little sister’s heart.

 

The Midori student gave a dreamy sigh as Yamaguchi threw Lambo in the air and caught him, making the young boy laugh and ask for it again, with the yells of  _ ‘higher! Higher!’ _ .

 

However, there was the amazing Tsuna, the one who had saved her from drowning bravely screaming ‘hold onto me!’ Stripping himself down to his boxers and diving in after her heroically. Perhaps he didn’t have the tact that Yamaguchi did, but Haru was sure that, with a few years, he would grow into a fine young man under her influence.

 

Oh, which one!?

 

The charming, mature Baker’s son?

 

The cute, exciting Mafia Boss?

 

Ah! So hard to choose!

**|M.H|**

* * *

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in, Daiki-san?” Nana asked, ushering Lambo into the house.

 

“No, I’m fine, thank you though. Call me when he becomes too much of a handful, okay?”

 

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

 

I smiled and waved as I walked out of the gates, doing a small fist pump.

 

One down, I thought happily.

 

One to go.

 

Looking over my shoulder, I waved to the Miura girl hiding behind the far wall, making her go red in the face and make a mad dash for the Sawada house, slamming the door behind her.

 

I jumped as an explosion went off, speeding up my pace as screams erupted from the house.

 

Sorry, not sorry, Tsuna. 

* * *

“Daiki-kun! You should fight too, TO THE EXTREME!” Ryohei roared, his K.O-ed opponent being dragged out by his fellow karate club members.

 

I leaned against the roped and shook my head, laughter bubbling up as a flicker of yellow flashed behind my eyelids.

 

It was bright and big, just like the sun and the aura Ryohei was exuding at the moment, a roar of war leaving him as his blood hummed for another fight.

 

Heh, such an adrenaline junky.

“Ryohei-kun, you’re telling me that you’ve pressured some poor first year into coming to the boxing club this afternoon?” I sighed, closing my book as I looked up at the younger boy from my seat.

 

“EXTREME! HE’S GOT EXTREME STAMINA, STRENGTH AND SPEED!”

 

“…Great. Just don’t be too rough with him, okay?” I requested, turning back to my book.

* * *

I sat down on the edge of the ring, my legs dangling off the edge as I flipped through the rubric for an upcoming assignment, the sounds of Ryohei practising punches keeping me company.

 

“This is going to be so EXTREME!”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

“He’s just what we need to up the EXTREME level of our EXTREME boxing club!”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“Daiki-kun! Are you even EXTREMELY listening to me!?”

 

“Absolutely, I entirely agree with you.”

 

“DAIKI-KUN!”

 

“Yes, that’ll be fine.”

 

“OH FOR THE EXTREME LOVE OF-!”

 

“Okay then, Ryohei-kun.”

 

**_BANG!_ **

 

I looked over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow when I saw Ryohei face first in the rink, his “I-am-so-fucking-done.”-expression making an impression on the padding.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

“You did.”

 

“Must have been a marvellous occasion, then.”

 

“I hate you.”

 

“I’m sure you do, sweetheart.”

 

The two of us looked away from our respective focuses and looked to the door as it opened, the silhouette of a particularly small body presenting itself to us.

 

“Who are you, TO THE EXTREME!?”

 

“I am Master Pao Pao, a well-respected elder of Thai Boxing!”

 

…

 

“Welcome.” I said slowly, wondering just how the  _ hell _ that worked as a disguise.

 

“May I ask your reason for being here?”

 

“I’ve come to observe the match between the leader of the boxing club, and the new member. It will surely be an intense one.”

 

“Well then, make yourself comfortable, we’re just waiting for him now.”

 

If Reborn was here, didn’t that mean that the one Ryohei had pressured into coming is…

 

“Ryohei-kun?”

 

“Yes?” He asked, still staring after Reborn .

 

“Who, exactly, have you asked to fight against?”

 

“Sawada Tsunayoshi of class 1-A! Takeshi-kun’s EXTREME friend! Kyoko-chan’s classmate TO THE EXTREME!”

 

I rested my head on my hand, worry suddenly hitting me.

 

Ryohei and Tsuna had interacted before, sparingly, but they knew each other better than they did in canon.

 

Would that affect the story? God, I hope not.

 

“Are you okay, Yamaguchi-san? You seemed troubled.”

 

I looked to the disguised Reborn and shook my head, brushing off his concern just as the door opened for a second time.

 

_ “Lambo-san has arrived!” _

 

_ “And I-pin!” _

 

_ “Ah! We beat Tsuna-san!” _

 

_ “Shut up, baseball-idiot! We could never beat Tenth, we’re scouting ahead!” _

 

_ “Sure, sure!” _

 

_ “Haru’s so excited!” _

 

_ “Why the hell are you here, crazy lady!?” _

 

_ “Hayato-kun, you should be kinder to women.” _

 

_ “Gah!” _

 

_ “Oops! Gokudera-kun got sick again!” _

 

_ “I’ll take him to the nurse’s office, my frail little brother.” _

 

Nope.

 

All the “Nope”.

 

Quietly, I edged myself off the side of the ring, thankful of the fact that I was on the side furthest from the door. Seated on the floor, out of eyeliner of the people in the room, I continued to read the rubric, taking out a pen to put a star next to a piece of information that didn’t make sense to me.

 

Barely looking up from the paper, I listened to the sounds of Tsuna’s fearful screams as he entered the building, his friend’s motivational speeches not helping his case.

 

“ _ Reborn! _ ”

 

Oh, he’s found the elephant in the room. Well done.

 

Glancing up as they organised themselves, I was greeted by Ryohei’s calves grazing my nose.

 

Ah, he had taken my corner, good. Keep the fish away from me, thank you.

 

_ “He’s intense when he’s upset too!” _

 

You have no idea, young one. No idea. Should have seen him when he threw tantrums.

 

_ “Fight with your dying will.” _

 

I sat back and waited for the scream of “REBORN”, but when none came after the shot, I tensed up like no other.

 

Slamming my eyes shut, I flinched back from the fire that bloomed before me. It was still Ryohei’s and still had the same amount of Will behind it, but it had been made different somehow. A fuel had been added to it, not to make it stronger, per say, but to make it more…auditable? It made the tinder beneath the fire crackle and snap loudly in my ear, the source of the flames working double time to keep up with the new power flooding through.

 

Crackle and snap…

 

No wonder Ryohei was forced to take days off under Colonello’s order.

 

His body must be a mangled mess.

 

I took in a deep breath as another shot went off, silence following for another second, before a  _ screeching  _ hit my ears.

 

Screeching in my ears, and blinding light in my eyes.

 

Prying my eyes open, I leaned against the ring, breathing heavy and erratic as the ringing faded.

How could anyone use those flames? They were uncontrolled and random, flaring up of their own will and thrashing around crazily. Their frequency was off the charts, random explosions of noise ripping out of the tinder beneath the flames, making them roar up and swallow any traces of blackness behind my eyes.

 

I… I need to leave… The noise is still here. I need to get away, even for a moment.

 

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself before standing and walking out of the room. That of course, required me to pass almost every other occupant, making them call out to me, causing the ringing to get louder with the new barrage of noise.

 

“Daiki-kun! Where’re you EXTREMELY going?!”

 

“Hush! I’m going to talk to the teacher. Just… stop shouting, okay.” I groaned, putting my hand against the door to steady myself.

 

As soon as I was outside of the room, a wave of cool air hit me, the residual heat from the flames leached away from my skin.

 

Stumbling further from the building, I dropped against the trunk of a tree, hidden by its thick base. Giving heavy breaths, I panted as if I was trying to filter the flames out of my system.

Drawing my hands to my face, I scrubbed the flesh on my skull to try and ease myself back into reality, my nerves frayed from the onslaught of noise and light.

 

“Chattering Herbivore.”

 

I didn’t even bother to acknowledge the skylark’s sudden appearance, too busy trying to settle my throbbing headache.

 

There was a sudden pressure on my splayed legs as hands wrapped around my wrists, prying them from my face.

 

“Too much light. Too much light.” I breathed, closing my eyes as the sun scratched at my retinas through 

the leaves.

 

A hiss left me as another light hit me, purple luminescence presenting itself before me as yellow and violet tongues danced around each other carefully.

 

I tensed when Hibari shifted and something wrapped around my eyes, fastening at the back of my head.

 

Opening my eyes on instinct, I was greeted by absolute black. No flames. No colours.

 

“…Thanks.” I breathed, slumping against the tree.

 

“Hm.” He grunted through the dark, before moving and falling against me.

 

Ow… his tonfa is digging into my leg. Ow.

 

“Explain.”

 

“Just my own stupidity.”

* * *

**|H.K|**

Hibari Kyoya yawned into his hand as he laid on a tree branch, just beyond the club rooms.

 

The baby had last been seen going into the boxing club’s block for some reason, and Hibari wasn’t going to miss a chance to witness the baby’s prowess.

 

The boxing club, at the moment, was under the rule of one Sasagawa Ryohei, and, to a lesser degree, Yamaguchi Daiki, who acted like more of a manager than the actual manager did. Keeping the rowdy boys in line as compared to how they used to act.

 

With less property damage and the noise level lowered, the amount of paperwork on the skylark’s desk had shrunk, even by a little.

 

Speak of the devil, the cloud looked up when the young baker’s son stumbled out of the studio, pain 

barely noticeable on his face.

 

The boy stilled for a moment, leaning against the wall, before taking unsteady steps to the tree the skylark occupied, dropping down beneath him.

 

Upon closer inspection, Hibari could see how his eyes were tearing up, his pupils almost pinpricks as the second year slammed his hands over his ears, grimacing against an unheard noise.

 

This was odd, Yamaguchi had never shown this level of pain before, even all those years ago at the pool, hands and feet covered in blood as he clutched his possibly fractured arm. When Hibari attacked him, he always laughed instinctively at the pain, spurring the skylark to strike harder to shut him up.

 

Now, he kind of wanted the boy to start laughing maniacally, preferring that over erratic breaths that grated on his nerves.

 

“Chattering Herbivore.” He called as warning, before dropping to the ground beside him.

 

Feeling a little miffed from the lack of response, the skylark shifted, before seating himself on the boy’s legs, effectively protecting his pants from getting dirty. He stared at the baker’s son for a moment, before reaching out and prying his hands away from his face, using more effort than he’d like to admit.

 

He frowned as the boy recoiled from the light, closing his eyes, only to flinch further.

The Cloud watched for a moment, before releasing the second year’s wrists and reaching up for his tie. 

 

Craning his neck as he undid the Windsor knot, he roughly aligned it with the boy’s eyes, tying it up at the back of his head.

 

There, now he’ll shut up.

 

The baker’s son stilled for a moment, before reclining against the tree, a small saying of gratitude leaving him with a rush of air.

 

Hibari gave a grunt before falling onto his side on the boy, ignoring the obvious discomfort his left tonfa was giving Yamaguchi.

 

The skylark happily leached the boy of his warmth, letting his head fall onto the younger’s shoulder as drowsiness began to take its toll, before the second year tensed up and snapped his head to the side, despite being blindfolded.

 

“Tiny Flames.” He muttered, tilting his head slightly.

 

“Hm? Flames?”

 

The baker’s son shifted to look down at him for a moment, before turning back to the previous direction.

 

“There is a group of people coming our way. Seven or eight.”

 

Hibari narrowed his eyes up at the boy before turning his attention to the direction indicated, listening closely.

 

Faint conversation and footsteps.

 

How…

 

“Wao.”

 

The skylark would have stood to intercept the people for crowding and loitering after school, however, the arm slung over him dragged him back down and behind the tree, effectively hiding the duo from the flock.

 

“Herbivore.” He growled warningly, putting the butt of his tonfa at Yamaguchi’s jaw.

 

“Leave them, Hibari-san, they’re already in over their heads. Don’t draw their attention.” The younger explained, tilting his head back when he felt metal brush his jaw.

 

Hibari paused for a moment, thinking over what he said, before grunting and deciding to take the opportunity presented to him. Reaching around the boy, he grabbed the excess material from his tie, forcing Yamaguchi’s head back further, making him let out a confused grunt. Locating his target, he lunged forwards and sank his teeth into the column of flesh before him.

 

“Ow! You son of a-”

 

“Quiet. Don’t draw their attention.” He mumbled, capping the younger boy’s mouth with his wrist, tonfa still occupying his hand, before sinking his teeth back in, stretching the marks further.

 

The vibrations that rumbled in the boy’s throat and chest were Hibari’s only warning before a large hand latched into his own neck, cutting off airflow.

 

The skylark choked for a moment, before pressing his teeth further in retaliation, a dangerous glare coming to his face as he pulled the material sharply.

In the same instant, two sharp pains rung through the Cloud, the hand closing further around his throat, and the sharp teeth sinking into his wrist, the muscle beneath his own jaws shifting with the clamp.

 

The two boys remained still for another few moments, neither moving in consideration of the instantaneous response.

 

Hibari’s eyes latched onto the slowly raising hand belonging to Yamaguchi, watching as it splayed out, before a single finger came down.

 

Four.

 

Three.

 

Two.

 

“ _ Let’s get out of here! _ ”

 

Both boys released the anatomy in their grasp and separated, turning their equally intense gazes to the sudden burst of sound.

 

Yamaguchi was the first to move, walking to stand by the building, holding out his arm for the Skylark to emerge from the tree and land on.

 

They turned to each other, Hibari smirking slightly when he stared down at the still blindfolded boy, before focusing his attention to the group approaching.

 

“Someday we’ll get ourselves a hot girl!”

 

Yamaguchi had been right, each boy did look like they had been through the grinder, bruises and scrapes covering their bodies.

 

“What are you doing there?” He asked rhetorically, looking down on them from his perch.

 

“Hiba…ri…-san?!” The biggest choked out, before turning his attention to his blinded perch.

 

“If you’re crowding,” Yamaguchi sighed, tilting his head to face them.

 

_ “Kamikorosu.”  _ The skylark finished, narrowing his eyes.

 

“AH! EXCUSE US!”

 

Hibari watched them scramble away, speed impressive considering their injuries, before glancing at the room they had left.

 

He snapped his attention to his perch when a small snicker left the boy, frowning slightly when he saw an eye peeking out of the fold, a hand having reached up to pull one side down.

 

“Be nice, birdy.”

 

“ _ Kamikorosu,  _ handler.”

 

The smile they shared was nothing more than baring their teeth.

**|H.K|**

* * *

 

“Ryohei-kun! Run!” I yelled, bolting down the hall as the final bell let students out of their cages.

 

“Why TO THE EXTREME!?”

 

“I dropped Hibari-san out a window!”

 

“YOU WHAT!?” The entire storey yelled, students and teachers sticking their heads out of their classrooms to watch in fearful awe as Ryohei and I ran for our lives from a  _ very  _ angry skylark.

* * *

 

I pouted at my mother as she pressed an icepack to my cheek, her other hand coming up to dab disinfectant on the bleeding bite mark below my ear.

 

“You remind me of your grandfather, always coming home with cuts and bruises.” She cooed, tapping a plaster over the teeth marks.

 

“Good thing I’m a fast healer, eh?” I laughed, testing out my jaw.

 

“Uh huh. Now, when you feel better, I need you to take an order to the Sawada’s house. Nana-chan needs a kilo or so of bread delivered to her, she was too busy to pick it up today.”

 

I nodded, before abandoning my icepack in the freezer, sending little tongues of sunshine to my injuries. 

 

Padding up to my room, I frowned when I noticed Lambo’s cot empty, meaning he was either running amuck somewhere in town, or was ambushing Tsuna.

 

“Kaa-san! Where’s Lambo-kun?”

 

“He went over to the Sawada’s! Could you bring him back with you?!”

 

I gave a groan but called back an affirmative, dropping down the stairs before grabbing the crate and tucking into the crook of my arm.

 

“Bye, kaa-san!” I called over my shoulder, walking out of the house.

 

Nothing had really happened recently, that I was aware of, that is. There had been rumours of shady looking men running around the past few days, but nothing all that stand out.

 

I wonder what part we’re up too.

 

Reaching the Sawada house I paused, a faint grimace on my face.

 

Ah, that’s what we’re up too.

 

The crowd of black suited, tinted glassed men blocked a good portion of the street, mumbling things to each other in a mixture of Italian and Japanese.

 

_ “It’s good that Boss has accepted Vongola’s guardians.” _

 

_ “They did take down a Yakuza for him.” _

 

_ “Hah! They still have a lot of growing up to do!” _

 

Yakuza!? How long had they been here? Didn’t they do that on Dino’s last day?

 

I shook my head before sighing, mentally preparing myself to try and penetrate the horde of men.

 

“Uh, excuse me? Can I get through?” I asked the closest man, his familiar face turning to face me.

 

“Are you a member of the Sawada or Vongola Family?” He asked, looking me up and down.

 

“Ah, no, I can’t say I am. I’m here to make a delivery for Sawada Nana.”

 

“And what makes you think we’ll let you in?” Another man stepped forwards, the rest coming to make a wall of suits.

 

Well then… This is quite the predicament.

 

“Ah! Daiki-kun, there you are! Come in! Come in!” Nana called from the door, the words working magic on the men.

 

They parted with incredible grace, a swift apology leaving them as a chorus.

 

“Um… no worries?” Damn, that sounded like a question.

 

I shuffled past them quickly, trying to not duck my head when they stared at me intensely, as if trying to pick me apart.

 

“Sorry for the intrusion.” I hummed softly, taking my shoes off as I walked through the door.

 

_ “Well then, Enzo should say-AH!” _

 

I looked up from my position at the base of the staircase, my arm lashing out and catching the olive and blond blur that came sailing at me. Giving a grunt as another heap landed on the arm, I tensed my muscles to stop the two bodies from falling further.

 

“My, my, you’re so lively Tsuna-kun! Good catch, Daiki-kun!” Nana cooed from the doorway, a hand on her cheek.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked the two boys bent over my arm, both of the winded.

* * *

**|S.T|**

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no!

 

Why is Yamaguchi here!? He’ll find out about the Mafia if h-

 

“H-hello, I’m Dino, the tenth Cavallone boss. Hehe.” The older man under Tsuna laughed nervously, slowly pulling himself from the baker’s son’s arm.

 

The young Vongola watched the older Namimori student carefully, trying to see if he’d react badly to the information, deflating in relief when he only shrugged.

 

“Hm, have a good trip, Sawada-san?” Yamaguchi smirked, putting his free hand on his hip as he stared down at the younger boy.

 

Trip?...Fall!

 

Tsuna’s face went red with embarrassment when he remembered the boy had caught them, saving the Mafia from a rather nasty fall.

 

“Uh, thank you. Yamaguchi-san.” He stuttered out, bowing his head slightly.

 

“No problem.” The baker’s son shrugged, before calling after Tsuna’s mother, asking where he could put the order down.

 

“Who was that?” Dino asked, staring after the boy with a careful expression.

 

“That’s Yamaguchi Daiki. What’s wrong Dino-san?” Tsuna asked, glancing up at the older boy.

 

“That boy, he’s…something’s…never mind.”

 

Dino shook his head, his frown shifting into a smile, before he leaned down to whisper to the younger boss.

 

“Yamaguchi Daiki, eh? Isn’t he one of your possible guardians?”

 

“What? No! He’s made it very obvious that he doesn’t like me!” Tsuna yelped, glancing at the baker’s son’s back as he moved around the kitchen with his mother.

 

“Really? That interaction just then was pretty normal, he even cracked a joke!”

 

_ “Dame-Tsuna once tried to harmonize with Yamaguchi-san.” _

 

Both bosses looked to the railing of the staircase, giving synchronised “Gah!”s when they saw the baby hitman balancing on the structure.

 

“I tried to harmonize?! What!?” Tsuna yelped, leaning forwards.

 

“Oh? And how did that end? I don’t sense a connection between them.” Dino asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“He failed. Miserably.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“It was a flat-out rejection. No hesitation.”

 

“Okay! Fine, I get it! Can someone please explain to me what ‘ _Harmonization’_ is!?” The young Vongola  tried to hiss, glancing between Reborn and Dino.

 

“What? You don’t know?” The older boss asked, a bewildered expression on his face.

 

“No! That’s why I’m asking!”

 

_ “Boys! Dinner’s ready! Call the others down!” _

 

“Ah, Dino-san, can you stay for dinner?” Tsuna asked, remembering that he had to leave.

 

“It seems that I have to. Reborn-san hasn’t filled you in on important information.” Dino sighed, running a hand through his hair.

 

“O-oh, okay. Yamamoto-kun! Gokudera-kun! Dinner’s ready! Come down!”

 

As Dino led Tsuna through into the dining room, they could hear Gokudera and Yamamoto arguing down the stairs.

 

_ “Daiki-kun, you should stay for dinner too!” _

 

_ “A-ah, I would but-” _

 

_ “Great! I’ll get out your plate!” _

 

_ “…Okay…then…” _

 

Dino and Tsuna exchanged glances, feeling empathetic for the boy who just got dragged into the abyss of Nana’s hospitality.

 

When everyone was seated, Tsuna glanced to Yamaguchi, noticing how he had sat himself at the furthest point of the table from the young Vongola.

 

“Daiki-kun! When did you get here!?” Yamamoto burst in, a blinding grin on his face.

 

Both Dino and Tsuna choked on their rice as the batsman threw himself across the baker’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck as he nuzzled him.

 

“Only a bit ago, hello to you too, Takeshi-kun.”

 

“Oh dear, I miscalculated. We don’t have enough seats.” Nana gasped, looking at all her guests and live ins.

 

“It’s fine, Sawada-san! I’ll sit with shujin-kun!” Yamamoto laughed, relaxing on Yamaguchi further.

 

“Shujin-kun…” Tsuna heard Dino mutter, turning to watch him think for a moment, closing his eyes as he tried to find the translation, before falling into a coughing fit when it clicked.

 

“Oh, well then we’ll be fine!” His mother cooed, before plating up the meal.

 

Tsuna ate mostly in silence, sneaking glances at the partners on the end of the table.

 

They looked happy together, quietly happy.

 

Yamamoto’s laughter and loud voice toned down to a mutter as he talked to the older boy, accepting the chunk of fish offered to him by a pair of chopsticks.

Yamaguchi’s defensive and almost plastic exterior was watered down and he smiled softly up at the seated boy, arm wrapped around the young boy’s waist to stop him from slipping.

 

They looked like they had been doing this for years, and were content to do it for many more, totally at peace with being like that.

 

“Daiki-san!”

 

Heads turned when Lambo ran into the room, vaulting off Tsuna’s head and landing on the batsman’s lap, greeting his host happily.

 

“Hey, Lambo-kun, you been behaving for Sawada-san?”

 

No, Tsuna felt like saying, thinking back to all the explosions and crying.

 

“Hey,” He jumped when he felt Dino lean into his ear to whisper to him quietly. “They kinda look like a family don’t they?”

 

The young Vongola blinked, staring at the domestic scene in front of him.

 

Two partners seated together, a toddler sitting in their collective lap as they smiled down at it, reflecting its own upwards one.

 

Yeah, they did.

 

“Okay, let’s talk about it.” Dino suddenly declared, sitting up as he projected his voice across the table, drawing everyone’s attention.

 

“Huh? Talk about what?” Gokudera asked, lowering his cup.

 

“Harmonization. And Flames.”

**|S.T|**

My eyes widened slightly, hand clamping around Takeshi’s and teeth slamming together within my mouth.

 

What?

 

What had I just heard?

 

Flames?

 

They were talking about flames?!

 

_ They were talking about flames  _ **_before_ ** _ the Varia arc!? _

 

What had changed?! Was it something I did!?

 

No, it couldn’t be. I hadn’t been involved enough. It was probably something else.

 

Cool it, Daiki. Calm…that’s it, calm.

 

“So, Tsuna-kun, what do you know about flames?” Dino asked, resting his jaw in his hand as he started the conversation.

 

“Ah…Dying Will?” The Vongola tried, shrugging as he gave a nervous smile.

 

“Reborn-san! What have you been teaching him?”

 

“I wanted him to get to a certain level before I explained the whole thing to him, however, it seems his flames have become a bit more active as of late, and I need to speed things along a bit.” The baby shrugged, sipping at his coffee.

 

Speed things up?

 

Oh don’t tell me…

 

“Ah, anyway, there are seven kinds of flames: Sky, Storm, Rain, Cloud, Sun, Mist and Lightning. Each flame has an attribute or trait, Sky has harmony, Storm has disintegration, Rain has tranquillity, Cloud has propagation, Sun has activation, Mist has construction and Lightening has hardening. Everyone has a flame, but more often than not, they can’t utilise it due to lack of drive, or will. You, Tsuna-kun, have a Sky Flame.”

 

Calm down Daiki, this is okay. A little stray from the plot is okay. They’re just being introduced to the prospect of Flames a little earlier on.

 

But why the  _ hell _ am I here for this?

 

“Eh? What am I? What am I?” Takeshi asked, leaning slightly out of my stiff arms.

 

“You’re a Rain Flame, Yamamoto-san.” Reborn chirped, before turning to Gokudera.

 

“And you’re a Storm Flame.”

 

“Lambo-san is a Lightning.” He said, pointedly looking to Tsuna, as to act as if Lambo was absent from the scene.

 

“Eh, really? What’s Yamaguchi-san?” The young Vongola asked, turning to me.

 

“Do you want to know, Yamaguchi-san?” The baby hitman asked, glancing at me.

 

“No thank you, I’m not participating in this game.” I declined, a small smile on my face.

 

“Oh? Or is it because you already know?”

 

Everyone at the table was on high alert at that instant, Gokudera jumping to his feet and Takeshi’s hands 

clamping down around my shoulders, drawing himself closer to me almost protectively.

 

“Eh!? Yamaguchi-san already knows!?” Tsuna shouted, snapping his head between Reborn and I.

 

“Ah! Are you talking about the pretty yellow fire Daiki-san used to fix me!? They’re really cool! I bet mine are cooler though.” Lambo snarked, upturning his nose.

 

“Lambo-kun.” I growled, glaring down at the cow on Takeshi’s thighs.

 

“Oh, so not only are you aware you  _ had _ them. But you know how to  _ use _ them. Interesting, Yamaguchi-san.” Reborn breathed, before tottering over to me on the table.

 

“Can you tell me the first time you used the flames? Was it conscious?” He asked, leaning forwards as he tipped his hat.

 

“I’m not playing this game, Reborn-sa-”

 

“Your mother, Kaede-chan, is a lovely woman, very trusting. She and I get along quite well if I do say so myself. She doesn't seem terribly durable, however.” Reborn sighed, clasping his hands behind his back.

 

“ _ Careful _ , Reborn-san,  I might just take that as a  _ threat. _ ” I warned, my grip tightening further.

 

“Shujin-kun? U-uh shujin-kun? Ow! Daiki-kun! Stop!”

 

Let go!

 

I immediately released the lithe hand in my grasp, shame and self-loathing hitting me full force when I saw the bruises lining Takeshi’s hand, the limb cradled close to his chest.

 

“Yamamoto-kun!” Tsuna gasped, getting to his feet.

 

“You bastard!” Gokudera shouted, reaching into his jacket.

 

I ignored them in exchange for carefully reaching for the hand again, my breath hitching when he flinched.

 

“I’m sorry…just…let me fix it?” I asked quietly, noticing how Lambo had quietened.

 

Takeshi’s fingers twitched for a moment, before he let me touch him again, sliding his hand into mine.

 

I had hurt Takeshi…

 

Fuck Reborn.

 

Flames.

 

Breaths hitched through the room as my hand lit up with sunshine, Lambo letting out an excited squeal as the flame tickled his nose in greeting.

 

Mend the capillaries…

 

“What on Earth…” Takeshi breathed, examining his newly healed hand.

 

“Sun Flames.” Reborn stated, before smirking at me.

 

“Fuck you.” I growled, circling my arms around the younger boy and drawing him into an apologetic hug.

 

“Will you answer my question now? Yamaguchi-san?” He asked haughtily, the people around us fidgeting as the air buzzed with tension.

* * *

**|Y.T|**

Hurt him. Then heal him.

 

His Daiki had hurt him.

 

Then just as fast, he had healed him.

 

Takeshi’s mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation.

 

Flames of Will, those were what flickered on Tsuna’s forehead every other day, causing the confusing and exciting events to take place.

 

His Daiki had them. He,  _ himself _ , had them.

 

Takeshi bent his fingers this way and that, shifting further into Daiki’s arms as he glared down at the baby before them, his entire body on edge.

 

“Will you answer my question now? Yamaguchi-san?”

 

Yes, when had Daiki first used his flames? Before or after they met? How long had he kept this part of him secret? Why did he use them? Where had he been hurt? Who hurt him?

 

“When I was twelve years old. My arm broke.” He growled out, Takeshi enjoying the vibrations.

 

The young Rain paused for a moment, before reaching through the arms holding him hostage, and grabbing one of the decorative flowers in the vase on the table. Drawing it back to him, he proceeded to slice little cuts along his palm, making Daiki freeze up and grab his hands.

 

“What are you doing?!” He hissed, throwing the flower back and relighting the flame.

 

Takeshi smiled down at the little tongues of sunshine,  enjoying the warmth that spread through his hand as they illuminated his limb and mended his wounds.

 

“You seem pretty well versed with the way of your flames. Do you use them often?” Reborn asked, picking up the discarded flora.

 

Daiki glared at the small child, before the shifting of his muscle hinted his next action.

 

“I’m leaving.” He stated, placing Takeshi on his feet before trying to stand, only for a long green roped to snap around him.

 

“Ah! Reborn-san! I don’t think that-” Tsuna tried, only to get yanked back by Dino.

 

“Leave them be, Tsuna-kun.” He warned, sending Gokudera a warning glance.

 

“Well, Yamaguchi-san?”

 

“Tch, as little as possible.” He snapped, straining against the rope.

 

Takeshi didn’t much appreciate his husband being bound by something out of his control, but the curiosity that bloomed forth with every answer was too much to bear.

 

The baby let out a hum, tilting his hat towards Tsuna before giving a thoughtful expression. 

 

“Daiki-kun?”

 

The elder boy glanced at him for a moment,  before turning back to the table,  a harsh glare on his face.

 

“Daiki-kun, come on.” Takeshi cooed,  kneeling next to the chair as he laid one hand on Daiki’s thigh, the other on his arm.

 

“...How's your hand?” Finally came his voice, eyes turning to look at the hand on his leg.

 

" It's fine, you healed it all up.”

 

The Yamamoto child sat on the floor beside the elder boy, gently rubbing his clothed leg as the others bickered amongst themselves in the table.

 

“ Shujin-kun, calm.  Steady.” He breathed, feeling the muscles under his hands tense and jump.

**| Y.T |**

* * *

 

I glared down at the table as I let my leg bounce rapidly, the inside of my cheek pinched between my teeth.

 

Bastard. Using my mother as leverage.

 

I hate the Mafia.

 

Taking a deep breath, I slowly let the air seep from my lungs, taking most of the tension with it. The little Rain by my side dropped his head onto my arm, slipping his hand into mine with ease.

 

“Yamaguchi-san?” Reborn called, making me look up,  a frown on my face. 

 

“Yes?” I breathed, twitching when the rope wrapping me rippled slightly. 

 

“Do you want to join Dame-Tsuna’s family?”

 

“Reborn!”

 

“Reborn-san!”

 

“No.” Came my decisive response, voice low and face stern.

 

“...I’ll let you think about it.”

 

“ I won't need to.” I said, standing as Leon slipped from me.

* * *

**|S.T|**

Sawada Tsunayoshi watches helplessly as the three boys from the far end of the table filtered out of the room, all tense and barely giving the table another glance.

 

“Reborn! You can't do that!”

 

“Do what? Threaten the boy with his mother? Ask him to join the family? Be clear, Dame-Tsuna.”

 

“Any of it!” The young Vongola yelled, standing slightly. 

 

Threatening someone with their family was…

 

Tsuna glanced over his shoulder at the kitchen, watching the back of his mother as she moved about the workplace,  packing away ingredients as she hummed contently.

 

"Just...leave Yamaguchi-san alone, okay?”

 

“Oh, I can't do that.” Reborn chirped, turning to look at the desperate teen. “He could be useful, what, with his flames and abilities. The fact that he managed to reject you is interesting, Harmonisation is a delicate thing.”

 

“Reborn!” Tsuna tried, only to be shot back down as the baby hitman continued. 

 

“Harmonisation is the forming of a bond between a Sky and its Guardians.  It brings them closer, making them a unit and a family. The usual amount is six, one of each flame.”

 

Bond with Yamaguchi Daiki!?

 

That...sounds a bit...Tsuna fidgeted slightly,  a strange strangled noise leaving him as he glanced around.

 

“Gokudera-san,  I am sure that you and Dame-Tsuna are either in the process of Harmonisation,  or may very well have already completed it.”

 

The young Vongola blinked as his self-proclaimed right-hand man’s face lit up like a Christmas tree,  looking up at him with a little too much intensity. 

 

“ Really?  Tenth saw me worthy of his Storm Guardian!”

 

Tsuna gave Gokudera a hesitate smile, before glancing over through the window, the figures of the three boys long gone from his sight.

 

“Yamaguchi-san…”

 

“I'm sure he'll be fine.”

 

The young Sky turned to look at his senior student,  watching as he folded his hands together and sent him a small, sympathetic smile.

 

“I hope so.”

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

**|LAMBO|**

 

Lambo of the Bovino Family kept his mouth shut the whole walk home, sensing the danger that would come should he draw Daiki’s attention to him at this point in time.

 

Yamamoto gently held the elder boy’s hand in his own as he balanced the little baby in on his hip, keeping the trio in time with the pace they had been set.

 

The scene that had taken at Reborn’s house had been...tense, to say the least.

 

For every person who wanted to free Daiki from the ropes holding him, there was someone who wholeheartedly wanted to keep him there until he didn’t have anything left to spill. As is the Mafia way, he supposed.

 

As Lambo played with the fabric of the batter's shirt, he couldn’t help but glance up at him, hands wringing slightly to keep him entertained.

 

Daiki had been sinking his teeth into the side of his hand almost the entire time, his face pulled into tense concentration, the kind he had when he was trying to solve a hard problem fast.

 

Was he scared? Because Reborn threatened his mother?

 

He didn’t need to be, Lambo doubted that Reborn would actually make a move against the woman. There was nothing to gain from the action, other than the animosity from the blue haired boy, and a couple more, better aimed bullets, from Lambo's direction. 

 

Lightning remembered all the time he had been scared, and how his nanny had hugged him until he felt better. Maybe that would work for Daiki?

 

"Hey, do you want to stay over tonight? Your house is a bit on the far side. “

 

"Nah, I'll be fine.”

 

Lambo gave a squeak and covered his eyes as they grew closer, feeling his ears burning hot under his afro. 

 

Uncovering his eyes, he felt himself be passed from Yamamoto to Daiki.  The young Bovino clutched the boy's shirt carefully as the older boy toed off his shoes, walking up into their shared bedroom, and sat on the bed, his movements tired, but at the same time, robotic, as if he were working entirely on an autopilot.

 

When he looked up, Lambo was standing on the floor in front of him, staring up at the teen with a worried expression.

 

“What is it, Lambo-kun?”

 

“Hug?” He asked, raising his hands.

 

“What?” Daiki breathed, scrunching his face slightly in confusion.

 

Did no one ever hug him when he was upset? That’s... pretty lonely.

 

“Hug.”

 

The tall teen paused for a moment, before carefully reaching out, plucking the child off the floor and bringing him to his chest, wrapping his arms around Lambo.

 

“It’s okay.” The little, Mafia raised, infant cooed, wrapping his arms around Daiki’s neck as best as he could.

 

**|LAMBO|**

* * *

 

 

We don’t and never will know that.   
  


...But thanks for trying.

* * *

**| Y.T |**

Yamamoto squeezed the hand in his grasp as the wind blew through their bones, feeling way too cold for that time of year. 

 

He opened his mouth, about to say something,  before letting it click shut, feeling the warning grip sent through their connected limbs.

 

Takeshi didn’t like it when Daiki was like this, not because he became quiet, or because the air around him became stale, but because the alarms that sung in the back of his mind, suddenly hit a pitch that made his ears ring like tinnitus. It made the task of hearing harder the closer he was to his husband, and being a distance from the other male was not an enjoyable prospect.

 

Glancing over at the elder boy, he frowned when he saw the hand in his teeth. Releasing the one in his grip, he reached and gently pried it from the calcium, before rubbing his thumb along the dents, smiling slightly at Daiki’s own tired one.

 

” Sorry.” He breathed, switching hands to make the hold easier.

 

Takeshi watched as the baker’s son dished through his pocket for his key, unlocking the door.

 

“ Hey, it's late, do you want to stay over tonight? Your house is a bit on the far side.”

 

“Nah, I'll be fine.”

 

He wanted to stay, to be able to help the elder boy in his fragile state, but at the same time, he felt like he would be overstepping some sort of boundary,  that his presence would be a hindering. 

 

” Hm, very well then. Be careful, okay?”

 

Takeshi preened under the concern, smiling as the boy bowed slightly to lay a kiss on his temple, responding with his own to the jaw.

 

“I will. Goodnight, shujin-kun.”

 

As the young Rain walked down the darkening street,  he sent his father a text ahead of his arrival, a hand in his pocket and a slight frown illuminated on his face.

 

That baby had tried to get Daiki into the ‘Family’, as they called it.

 

Family… that sounds nice. 

 

But, he had said no.

 

Takeshi glanced over his shoulder at the cross road that splits the path between the shopping district and the residential. 

 

The Rain really did enjoy his friend’s company, the things they got up to, the games they played. Tsuna seemed to draw people in, armed with a charisma he didn't even seem aware of and a certain will that couldn't be swayed. Gokudera was fun to rile up, with his fireworks that seemed to make more smoke and noise than light, and his devotion and loyalty to his Tenth.

 

At the same time,  the Yamamoto child loved his Daiki. The boy being there for him for three years, as compared to their one. They were arranged to marry, and he was practicality over the moon, the high of the information always hitting him when he remembered.

 

Family, was nice.

 

A family, without Daiki...was less so.

 

So much less so.

 

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

 

I stared up at the ceiling, the trees outside making moonlight patterns on the white surface. Shifting my attention, I frowned slightly when I saw the sliver of light peeking from under my door.

 

Glancing over at the still sleeping Lambo,  I quietly removed myself from my sheets and slipped out of the room. Padding down the lit hall, I glanced over at Kaede’s room, stalling for a moment when I saw it empty.

 

“She must be down stairs…” I muttered, dropping onto the first step.

 

Reborn had threatened her. 

 

He had been right, she was trusting and falls easy to suggestion. Other than, perhaps screaming, my mother had no means of self-defence. 

 

“Hey.” I called, peeking into the kitchen where she was boiling a kettle of water.

  
“Daiki, my baby boy! What are you doing up so late?” She asked, turning away as she flipped the switch on.

 

“Couldn't sleep, I guess.” I shrugged, pulling out a stool.

 

“How was it at Sawada’s?” 

 

“Cool, I guess. Nana-san is a really good cook.” 

 

“Oho?”

 

She was a weak woman, both in body and mind. 

 

I wonder, what would have happened if I had not come to occupy this life? Would she have continued being a victim of domestic violence?  Probably. 

 

“Daiki-kun, what's wrong?” She cooed, stepping closer to me.

 

“No,  nothing.” I breathed,  before circling my arms around her waist, noticing how easily I could touch my upper arm on the opposite side. 

 

Very small.

 

Fingers found themselves in my hair, finding and undoing loose tangles.

 

I blinked as my eyes land on a scar, the length of a thumb, marring the pale skin of her foot.

 

Very fragile.

 

It doesn't take someone of Reborn’s level to launch an attack on Kaede, a common thug could end this woman with terrifying ease.

 

“Um, darling, could you let go? The kettle’s ready.”

 

“Sorry kaa-san.” I apologised, dropping my arms before glancing over at the black pot.  “Hey, you know that baby who comes around a lot? Reborn-san?”

 

“Yes,  what about him?”

 

“...Never mind.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Word Count: 17,131**

* * *

 

I groaned as I slammed my hand down on my phone, blindly fumbling with the keypad to try and shut up the alarm. Letting out a cough, I sat up, pressure building in my temples from the sudden movement. 

“Daiki-kun, are you up ye- Oh dear, you look terrible!”

“Thanks, kaa-san.” I drawled, hunching over as I rubbed my forehead.

“I bet it’s because you left your jacket last night when you went to the Sawada’s. You should know better, little man!” Kaede scolded, putting a hand on her hip as she waved a finger at me.

“Yeah, yeah. I know, I screwed up.” Giving a cough to try and clear my throat, I tried to stand, only to get pushed back down and my blanket thrown over my head.

“Oh, no you don’t.” I heard her say through the doona. “You aren’t going to bake anything today, or work the register. Not with that cold. You’ll get all of Namimori sniffing! Go back to bed, I’ll call the school and tell them you’re sick.”

“Will do.” I muttered, going full foetus beneath the sheets.

_ “Huh? What’s wrong with Daiki-san?”  _ Lambo asked from outside my little cocoon.

_ “He’s not feeling well, so you’ll have to sleep in my room for a little while, okay?” _

_ “Okay. Get well soon, Daiki-san!” _

“I will.” Sticking my hand out of the sheets, I waved at the little cow print covered infant as he was carried out of the room.

Plucking my phone off my nightstand, I pulled it under the sheets and wrote a quick text to the birdy so that he wouldn’t come crashing through my window for skipping a day of classes.

_ To: Cloud _ _   
_ _ Can’t come to school today, sick. Don’t know the length of absence. _

Waiting a few moments, I blinked sleepily as the response buzzed my phone back to life.

_ From: Cloud _ _   
_ _ Fine. _

And with that, I tossed my phone back into the abyss of the outside room, and was out like a light.

* * *

 

**|S.T|**

Tsuna sat on his bed, staring out to window quietly as his alarm became a faint hum in the background.

He watched the students of the three main schools of Namimori walk past his house, some chipper, some just barely conscious. 

As more and more people passed, he slowly became less and less… he didn’t exactly know what he became less of, but he became more nervous.

“Tsuna-kun!” He heard his mother call as she opened his door, stepping in with a smile.

“Ah, you’re awake! Are you looking for Daiki-kun again?”

“H-huh!? No! I don’t look for Yamaguchi-san in the mornings!” The young Vongola yelped, spinning around to face the woman, face reddening at the simple prospect.

So what if he only really left the house after he saw Yamaguchi passing? It was coincidence! He just happened to finish his routine when the boy crossed his house.

“Oh, Tsuna-kun, when you go, could you give him back his jacket? He left it, when he went in such a hurry.” She sighed, producing the cloth from under her arm.

Tsuna stilled for a moment, his mind flying back to last night’s… incident.

“Dame-Tsuna.”

The young Vongola jumped awake at the call, snapping his attention to the baby hitman standing on his chair, balancing precariously on the backrest.

“Dame-Tsuna, you have five minutes before you’re late for school.”

“WHAT!?” Tsuna shrieked, snatching his alarm clock from his desk to see that the World’s No.1 Hitman had told no lie.

“Why didn’t anyone come and wake me up earlier!?” 

“We did, then you spent an hour and half staring out your window, trying to creep on the baker’s son.” Reborn stated, a certain evil tone in his voice that made Tsuna screech in his defence.

“I wasn’t trying to creep on Yamaguchi-san!”

“Four minutes, Dame-Tsuna.”

“Oh, for the love of-!”

“Yamaguchi-san says that a lot as well, are you perhaps-”

“NO!”

**...**

“My, so lively this morning.” Nana cooed from the kitchen, packing away Tsuna’s bento.

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

I gave a loud sigh as I threw my binder to the side, gently kneading my chest to sooth the small chunks of meat and fat. With both Kaede and Lambo out of the house, I was free to go loose, allowing my chest some time to breath and my temperature to drop without the extra layer of cloth.

My breasts were smaller on this body, unsurprisingly, most of my body being made of muscle as compared to the normal stores of fat required to shape the female body. My chest wasn’t round, the majority being flat muscle, leaving only obligatory bumps of fat.

In the words of Momoi Satsuki, KnB, “ _ barely B _ ”.

“Much better.” I breathed, a cough following after as I covered my mouth.

Fanning away the contaminated air in front of me, I stood shakily and opened the window, bathing myself in mid-day sun and letting a breeze in, clearing and circulating the air in the room.

Dropping back down on my bed, I opened my drawer and rummaged through until I found a particularly hard feeling sock roll in the far back. Pulling it out, I stretched the neck and saw the Panadol packet hidden beside a packet of Ibuprofen, the Lords and Saviours of my female body.

Snapping a Panadol tablet out of the foil, I gathered an acceptable amount of saliva into my mouth and swallowed it down with the capsule.

Letting my jaw crack with a yawn, I hid the sock again as I locked the window, before tucking my binder beneath my pillow and pulled the sheets back up to my chin, curling up under them.

* * *

**|S.R|**

“Yamaguchi-san?” The teacher called, glancing up from his role when silence rang through the room.

“Sasagawa-san, do you know where Yamaguchi-san is?”

“I think he’s absent today.” Ryohei sighed, glancing up from his sheet as he scribbled down another answer.

“Ah, thank you.”

The Sasagawa child frowned as the teacher carried on, the empty seat next to him seeming more and more disconcerting by the minute.

The last time Daiki had been absent, he had been attacked.

Daiki was only ever gone when something bad had happened.

Daiki was gone now. Had something gone wrong?

Ryohei tapped his pacer tediously, his leg bouncing as the limb failed to be pinned by its companion knee. The lack of ticking resounding from a usually nearby watch made his tapping unsteady, the lack of familiar breathing and warmth made him have almost constant mental blocks, thought processes shutting off half way to snap back to the cold wooden seat beside him.

The muttering in the room rung in his ears as white noise, his senses searching for a pressure on his thigh, the smell of bread, the crack of knuckles, a flash of blue, tan or amber-earth,  _ anything _ .

_ “Sasagawa-san? Are you alright?” _

Ryohei jumped to attention, snapping his head up to direct his gaze at the teacher who was watching his carefully.

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine.” Came his response, before he looked back down at his paper, his hands moving to sketch a crooked loaf of bread.

The boxer fidgeted, as the familiar warmth curling strangely in his gut, his leg bouncing more rapidly as energy began to pulse through him. The desire for confirmation growing, his fingers twitching to grab his phone and yell through the receiver at the reason for his frazzled state.

Is he okay? Did he get hurt?

Ryohei bit his lip as his grip on the plastic stationery clenched randomly, the clicking creeks barely reaching his ears.

“Oi, Sasagawa-kun, you got a question.” Someone hissed from behind.

The sun snapped his head up, his attention falling to the stern looking teacher who stood with his arms crossed.

“Sasagawa-san, answer this please.”

Scanning over the question, memories of nights being practically strapped to a chair as Daiki banged on about the topic, forcing the information down his throat and onto paper, came rushing back to him, allowing the boxer to spit out the answer almost as soon as he finished reading.

“X equals 14, Y equals 3.”

“Very good, try to keep your restlessness to a minimum.”

“Sorry sensei.” 

Scribbling down a couple more answers half-heartedly, Ryohei glanced up when the bell went off, signalling the end of class.

“You look pretty down, Sasagawa-kun.” A fellow student called, sitting on the corner of the boy’s desk.

“Can you blame him? His  _ beloved _ Yamaguchi-kun isn’t here today.” Another cooed, twirling through the desks to throw his arm over Ryohei’s shoulder.

“Oh, shut up.” The Sasagawa child sighed, grabbing the boy’s face and shoving him off.

“But really, where  _ is _ Yamaguchi-kun? He’s almost  _ never _ away.”

“I’m EXTREMELY sure he’s just sick.” 

The two boys glanced at each other before muttering out quiet excuses and departing from the little island of Ryohei, leaving him to doodle a half assed kangaroo in the corner of his page.

_ “Okay students, back to your seats.” _

Damn Daiki, he better be okay.

**|S.R|**

* * *

 

“When the hell did I create you?” I muttered, squinting at a folder on my computer.

For the past fifteen minutes, I had been sorting through the files in my system, finding random pieces of work, Paint art and stray sheets that had been lost to the flow of time.

I should really stop naming files  _ ‘asdfghjkl’ _ , it’s not very descriptive.

Stopping for a moment, I glanced over to my phone, the sudden thought of texting Ryohei or Takeshi to give them a bit of peace about my absence, before I locked my gaze on the clock.

They’d be in the middle of class right now…

Clicking around a bit more, I sighed when I threw another folder into the trash.

Meh, I doubt they’re worrying all that much.

* * *

**|S.T|**

Yamamoto wasn’t in a good mood.

The whole class knew that, the teacher knew that, and it made everyone was on edge.

Tsuna bit his lip as he glanced over his shoulder to his rain guardian, noticing how his fingers drummed his desk rhythmically, narrowed eyes tilted to the corner of his desk and his lips set into a firm line.

Through the day, the sushi chef’s son had slowly dropped in levels of cheeriness.

From jumpy and excited at morning practice and first period, to cloudy and stiff by second.

The absence of Yamamoto’s…  _ fiancé _ had caused the batter to become standoffish towards the people around him, his pencil spinning in his hand, similar to how Yamaguchi himself did.

Fiancé. 

Tsuna fidgeted as the word rang through his head, before a different version touched his mind.

_ “Fiancé.” _

The European vocabulary sounded in his ears, a familiar base sourcing it.

Tsuna never really could completely wrap his head around the fact that Yamaguchi and Yamamoto were engaged. Or at least promised to each other. 

They were so young, dating and school should be their first and foremost. Yet there they were, standing stable amongst the clutter and disarray of their peers. 

Stable.

That was one way to describe Yamaguchi. Whether he was fighting against the current, the wind or the flow of students in the halls, he wouldn't relent.

Yamaguchi Daiki was more of a “break before I bend” kind of person. 

A pillar of stability, the kind of person you cling to when things are rocky. 

Supportive. Strong. Sure.

In all of those senses, Yamaguchi was perfect. 

It made Tsuna fell almost uncomfortable, how perfect the elder boy was.

He acted like he had a manual to life, like this was his second play through of a game in which he knew where the secrets and easter eggs were, and was taking his time to enjoy the scenery rather than scrambling to reach the next level like the rest. 

Tsuna glanced up at the board,  grimacing as he read another example that flew straight over his head.

There was a limit to how perfect a person could be before it became uncanny, unnatural

But, only in those aspects, was Yamaguchi perfect. 

Those moments of weakness was what allowed Tsuna’s unease to settle. The way his eyes jump around when he's alarmed, the way he cracked his knuckles when he was bored. 

Little details that the young Vongola would be embarrassed to admit he saw, made him human, rather than a prince charming. 

Moments where he was made of flesh and bone, rather than plastic and expectations. Tsuna preferred Yamaguchi when he was like that, when he was floating under the surface of the water, enjoying the cool liquid’s feather light touch against his skin.

Skin...

The young Vongola froze and covered his face with his hand as a familiar image flashed through his mind, the visage of the blue haired upperclassman leaning lazily against the wall of the change room, his pants hanging off his hips loosely. Fly yet to be done up, showing the band of his boxers and a strip of tanned flesh that peered from under his undershirt, muscles shifting as he waved off a rather vulgar comment thrown his way by his peers. A smile spread across his face making his eyes crinkle slightly,  before a hearty laughter left him,  sounding over his classmates and standing out to the young Vongola. 

Tsuna let out a strangled noise as he felt his ears heat up, a shiver shooting up his spine.

Whipping around, the young Decimo’ breath hitched when he made eye contact with his taller friend, dark eyes drilling into his carefully. 

Stiffly, Tsuna turned back to the front, ducking his head as panic burst in his stomach.

He knows! He definitely knows that he was thinking about Yamaguchi! His fiancé! 

“Sawada-san,  please answer this question.” the teacher called, pointing to a line that Tsuna didn't even bother to read.

“I don't know!” He squeaked out, three octaves higher than usual.

The young Decimo's face set aflame as the class giggled at his voice break, his desire to hide growing further when Gokudera stood to protect his pride. 

Ah, just let this day be over!

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

I sighed stopped the stream of water, stepping from the shower with a clean body, no longer caked in sweat. Shaking my head, the sound of droplets colliding with the surrounding wall reached my ears before I stopped, taking a second to regain my bearings. 

A flash of colour caught my attention amongst the white and pale yellow of the bathroom, the mirror hanging over the sink reflecting a muscled body that betrayed its true gender, broad shoulders and straight abdomen, packed muscles and the most subtle dip in the waist, just above sharp hips.

Pausing for a moment, I stuck my tongue out at the image, spluttering when I caught a droplet of soapy water on the muscle.

* * *

**|G.H|**

What the hell, baseball freak!?

Gokudera Hayato gritted his teeth as he watched his boss fidget ahead of him, the Rain Flame user sending off some serious angst vibes.

The young bomber only really understood the basics of the situation, but he knew that Yamaguchi Daiki was the main reason that the two other boys were so tense.

He didn’t get why they were so transfixed by the older boy, had he done some sort of amazing thing before he came to the area?

Yamamoto, sure, he was engaged to the guy, but the Tenth? What was going on there?

And why the hell was  _ Yamamoto engaged to Yamaguchi!? _

The young Storm groaned as he rested his head on the desk in front of him, wondering if this was just another culture shock.

Sure, he had above average looks, grades, manners and height-

_ Little one… _

Oh that son of a bitch! He wasn’t that short! Yamaguchi was just freakishly tall!

Damn that bastard, why’d he have to smile when he said that? Fucking pretty boys-   
Nope! Let’s not!

_ Overconfident! _

_ Get’s Tenth distressed! _

_ Doesn't respect Tenth! _

_ Think badly of him, Gokudera! _

The Storm rubbed his face with his hand, scowling when a classmate glanced over at him.

The young bomber doubted the elder boy had ever used those brass knuckles that hung from his hip warningly, the damned thing clinking together whenever he was near. 

Despite all that, the danger the pale haired boy felt whenever the boy was around, was undebatable. It wasn’t  _ confrontational _ danger per say, but it was a sort of danger that slashed at your ankles, daring you to take a step back. You had to keep your eyes on him, or risk a missing a move that could have saved your life if seen.

Gokudera felt like he was missing something, the Yamaguchi boy obviously played a large role in the life of many of his…  _ friends _ lives. Large enough to have an influence over their decisions and responses. 

The Tenth wanted to protect the elder boy by keeping him out of the Mafia, but at the same time, he wanted him nearby. For whatever reason. 

_ Nearby… _

Yamaguchi Daiki was always in the vicinity when something went down, somewhere in the backdrop, blending amongst the crowd effortlessly despite the loud companion he was practically attached to by the hip.

_ Always there. In the background… _

The young Storm sat up sharply as a memory of the shadow in the window came crashing back to mind, calculations of chance and situations speeding through along with it.

The boy had been in the hall of that room, but none of his classmates were, they were scattered through the school, Gokudera had seen that on the way up. He was the correct distance for walking speed that a person could cover in the given time… shit.

He knows.

Yamaguchi had let them into his house.

_ He knows. _

Yamaguchi had been in  _ Tenth’s house. _

_ He knows. _

They hadn’t been watching, and he had moved.

**|G.H|**

* * *

 

Giving a grunt, I shifted the tight material around my chest until the piece of skin was no longer pinched painfully and I could move freely again. I’d rather not put it on, the heat building beneath the material making my still sickly body sweat, but a glance at the clock warned me of the other’s impending return and I submitted to the binder.

Since around midday, I had been feeling a lot better,  the fever wearing off and my throat soothed by gargling cups of salted water. I wasn’t going to drop and do 50 anytime today, but normal, mundane tasks were possible.

“Normal tasks like...” I took a breath, jammed two fingers in my mouth and whistled loudly, summoning forth the little white pup.

“Heya Miphy, let’s go for a walk.”

Mephisto gave a loud yap before bolting out of the room, taking off in the direction of his lead that hung from a low hook.

Pulling on a shirt and pants off the floor, I shoved my phone in my pocket before following after the excitable mutt. Taking the lead out of the dog’s mouth, I hooked him up before locking the door behind us, beginning the trek to Lady’s house. Lady, being the chihuahua that tends to tackle hug *cough* attack *cough* Tsuna. 

I waved to the old woman as I closed the gate, Lady nuzzling against Mephisto happily.

“Okay, let’s go you two.” I cooed, taking the lead before they dashed ahead, forcing me to jog all the way to the park.

The streets were empty for the most part, almost everyone at work or at school, only the occasional retire or stay-at-home there to greet me or send me a disapproving glance.

It was calming, the constant speed set for me as I ran along quietly, the dog's knowing the way off by heart. 

* * *

**|Y.T|**

_ “Jeez, what’s got Yamamoto-san so riled up?” _

_ “Hell if I know, he’s been pretty down in the dumps since morning practice.” _

Takeshi sucked on the back of his teeth silently as he turned his attention out the hall window, watching the students quickly file through the halls to get to their classrooms before a certain skylark got to them first.

He flipped his phone open and checked for any messages, a frown marring his face when the screen showed no such activity, leaving him to shove it back into his pocket just as the teacher walked in, waving a pile of marked tests at the students.

“Okay everyone, I have your results. Quite a lot of you did very well,” Nezu smiled, before letting his gaze snap between Tsuna and Takeshi. “And some of you did very  _ badly. _ ”

The batter began tapping his desk irritably as the man handed out their tests, before returning to the front of the room to name and shame the lowest ranked students in the class. 

“-And Yamamoto Takeshi, as usual.”

“Sorry, sensei.” He muttered out, absently tapping the rhythm to the song Daiki hummed while baking.

__ “The black magic of Mulholland Drive  
__ Swimming pools under desert skies  
__ Drinking white wine in the blushing light  
__ Just another LA Devotee  
__ Sunsets on the evil eye  
__ Invisible to the Hollywood shrine  
_ Always on the hunt for a little more time  
_ __ Just another LA Devotee…”

His muttering was cut short when his accented words finally became too much of an annoyance, the way they were spoken not matching the voice in his head.

He just couldn’t find him, checking the boxing club’s room and his other haunts around the school grounds had been all for naught. With each void space Takeshi went past, he grew more and more agitated, his smile becoming harder to paste on.

A flash of movement caught his eye, making him turn his attention to the source, his gaze latching on the flushed face of his younger friend.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, he was a nice boy, always so happy and never short of excitement. Lately, however, Takeshi had taken notice of just how alert the smaller boy was of his Daiki’s presence, be that physical or emotional. 

It had probably started that day in the changeroom, before he has associated the boy as a friend, he had caught the younger student glancing up at his fiance in a state of mild undress, spurring him forwards. Afterwards, through every interaction, Tsuna would  _ react _ to their upperclassman. Whether it be smiling for a bit too long, or a bit too brightly, making a move to draw his attention, only to squash it down when another would beat him too it.

Takeshi wasn’t worried though, he knew that Daiki was loyal.

It was still aggravating, however, when the elder boy’s muscles would tense, and his smile would become strained as he tried to hold something back in the smaller boy’s presence. His attention halved, leaving Takeshi with only a fraction of his focus. 

The bell rung for lunch and the class burst into action, some fleeing to the next room as others spun around in their chairs to yell at the person behind them.

The young Rain merely lifted his chin from his hand and slunk over to Tsuna’s desk, dropping down in the chair he had dragged after him.

“A-ah, Yamamoto-kun, you seem a bit down today.” The younger boy tried, making Takeshi give a half-hearted response of ‘nah, just tired’.

The young Rain looked at the Sky for a moment, contemplating asking the question that had been on his mind for a while, before mentally shrugging and going in.

“Hey Tsuna-san, how long have you and Daiki-kun known each other, exactly?”

Takeshi pretended not to notice how Gokudera leaned forwards slightly, the prospect of Tsuna’s past interesting him more than the possible row in the far corner.

“Oh, I met him when I was nine.”

“Eh, so long? How did you meet?”

Tanned arms crossed on the desk, keeping his hands tied.

“Well, I was at the pool and - I got clumsy and fell in! I wasn't a very good swimmer back then, so Yamaguchi-san saved me from drowning!” Tsuna laughed nervously at the end, both Gokudera and Yamamoto pausing at the almost stumble.

“But Tenth, you're a brilliant swimmer now, right?!” The young Storm asked, leaning further.

“Y-yeah!” He yelped, before a small smile came to his face,  making his Guardians blink.

“Yamaguchi-san taught me how. He's a really good teacher.”

Takeshi smiled at the idea of his Daiki being all heroic and strong, before freezing as a small hum left the young Sky. 

_ “He looks so pretty underwater.” _

He probably wasn’t meant to hear that.

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

I let out a breath as I dropped to the ground,  leaning against a tree trunk as I watched Lady and Mephisto play.

Today had been a good day. No death, no Mafia, no attacks.

“Oh my God!”

Never mind, there was an attack. 

“Mephistopheles, let him go!” I yelled, scrambling to my feet and racing after the damned dog.

Reaching the scene, I grabbed the canine by the collar and roughly lead him off of his catch, giving his belly a smack before sending him off to where Lady had sat herself down.

“I am  _ dreadfully _ sorry about that, he gets excited around new people.” I apologised, reaching out to the curled up male.

Slowly, he uncurled himself and looked up at me, making my body grind to a halt and my eyes widen slightly.

“A-ah, it's fine. No harm done.”

Red hair, green eyes, glasses and clad in the Yumei Private uniform, Shoichi Irie slowly stood from the ground, before a groan of despair left him.

“Well, no harm to  _ me. _ ”

Grimacing, I looked down at the torn up plastic bag containing what must have been some sort of bread like meal.

God damn it, Mephisto.

“That's green tea bread, right? Or used to be.” I asked, pointing at the mildly green bread and the paste that leaked from the breaks.

**“** With red bean paste, yeah. I'll have to go buy more. There goes my allowance for the month.” The future Sun Mare ring sighed, trying to salvage the bag.

“Oh no, I'll buy you more. There were only seven, right?” I asked, stepping forwards and taking the bag from him.

“Ah, no! It's fine, really!” He tried, only to have me cut him off with a small smile. 

“It was my fault,  I should have kept a closer eye on the dogs. Besides, I know a bakery not far from here.” 

“O-okay, I'm Shoichi Irie,  by the way.” He introduced,  fiddling with his hands. 

“Yamaguchi Daiki, pleasure to meet you  Shoichi-san.” I smiled, before whistling for Lady and Mephisto. 

“The little one’s Lady, and this mangy mutt is Mephistopheles.” 

I quickly hooked the two dogs back up to their leads before gesturing for the future Mafioso to follow, striking up conversation when his awkward glances became a bit too obvious.

“So, Shoichi-san, why’re you out of school in the middle of the day?”

* * *

**|S.I|**

“Oi, Shoichi-san!”

Shoichi Irie grimaced before turning to the call, jumping slightly when a piece of paper was thrust against his chest. 

“Here's a list of things we need you to get for us, you can do that, right?”

He took a moment to look at the towering trio before sighing and taking the list, pulling his wallet from his bag as he fled the room.

Yumei Private had been going down hill in the past few years, the student average on the decline and the amount of delinquents and slackers on the rise.

It didn’t matter to him, he supposed, all he had to do was graduate with a good enough ATAR and move on to the next education building.

Shoichi sighed as he stepped out of the school gates, momentarily wondering if he’ll make it back in time, before letting his shoulders sag. Probably not.

“Thank you, ma’am.” He hummed out, taking the plastic bag from the server at the counter.

He hadn’t been able to buy himself any of them, his wallet already feeling dangerously light from the seven already purchased. Looking to his watch, Shoichi blinked when he saw the wide gap between the minute hand and the fearful number, the sheer amount of time he had left was surprising to say the least.

“Well, today might not turn out so bad.” He breathed, glancing at the path that cut through the park, a small smile coming to his face as he decided to treat himself to the scenic route.

Summer was creeping into Spring, and the plants were feeling it as much as the humans were. Leaves were wide open alongside their flowers, bees and birds were flying about freely. 

The park was pleasantly empty, everyone at their own commitments, leaving Shoichi to soak up the sun without a care-

“Oh my God!” 

The words left his mouth before he registered what was actually happening, a heavy weight pressing spontaneously on his side as he instinctively curled up, protecting his face from the frenzied dog.

_ “Mephistopheles, let him go!” _

The voice that run out was low and gravelly, almost as if their throat had been rubbed raw. It boomed over the park easily ad heavy footsteps came closer, Shoichi wondering for a moment what kind of man could own such a ruthless beast.

The dog was ripped off him in a single swift movement, the paws that dug into his sensitive side removed before a soft slap reached his ears.

There was a small yip before Shoichi heard the dog’s pants fade into the distance, obviously making a break from its owner.

“I am  _ dreadfully _ sorry about that, he gets excited around new people.”

The Yumei Private student glanced up at the silhouetted figure, gulping when he saw the outlines of solid muscle, and unraveled his body before sitting up.

“A-ah, it's fine.” Oh God, he had stuttered. “No harm done.”

Shoichi blinked when the boy towering over him paused, eyes widening minutely. Shaking it off, the red haired boy stood, drawing his attention to the bag in his hand, before a groan left him.

They were ruined.

“Well, no harm to  _ me _ .”

He was going to have to go back again and buy more now, that'll cost both time and money. At the rate he was going, he would be both late and broke.

“That’s green tea bread, right?” He asked, making Shoichi jump to attention. 

“With red bean paste, yeah. I'll have to go buy more. There goes my allowance for the month.” 

“Oh no, I'll buy you more. There were only seven, right?” 

Shoichi jolted as the other boy stepped closer, his hair standing on end suddenly when their hands brushed as he slipped the bag from paler fingers.

“Ah, no! It's fine, really!”

What the hell was that?

“It was my fault,  I should have kept a closer eye on the dogs. Besides, I know a bakery not far from here.” 

Ah crap, he's got a nice smile.

“O-okay, I'm Shoichi Irie, by the way.” His mother would have his head if she knew that he hadn't introduced himself yet.

“Yamaguchi Daiki, pleasure to meet you Shoichi-san.” 

Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi, that sounded familiar.

The Yumei Private student fiddled with his hands as he watched Yamaguchi slip two fingers in his mouth and let out a high pitched whistle, summoning forth two canines from the far side of the park.

“The little one’s Lady, and this mangy mutt is Mephistopheles.” 

“A-ah.” He managed out before falling instep beside the taller boy, clasping his right arm as he took a moment to observe his new acquaintance. 

He seemed nice enough, polite, mild mannered and welcoming to a comfortable extent. What had caused that reaction though? He had no real reason to freak out when he got touched, his sister being very much a handsy person when it comes to affection. 

“So, Shoichi-san, why’re you out of school in the middle of the day?”

Shoichi jolted sharply, snapping his head to the other boy as he managed to splutter out the required response before the pause became too long.

“Ah, I'm running an e-errand!” 

“Oh? So these are for your friends?” Yamaguchi asked, lifting the ruined bag slightly.

“N-no. Not exactly.” The red haired boy sighed out, glancing off to the side.

He saw the tanned boy frown for a moment, but he seemed to sense Shoichi’s hesitance towards the subject and promptly dropped it.

“So why are you out of school, Yamaguchi-san?” 

“Oh, I'm not in the best of health today. I started feeling better, so I took the dogs for a walk.” He answered, shrugging  as he gestured to the yipping dogs.

“Ah, are you sure you should be outside, then?” 

“Yeah, it was probably just a bug. I didn't wear a jacket last night - I was walking.”

Shoichi vaguely picked up on the jolt in the other boy's tone, but made no move to comment. It was none of his business,  anyway.

The two boys walked together for a little longer, trading conversation about mundane topics varying from school to the weather. 

“You go to Namimori Middle? What year?”

“Second. From your uniform, I gather you are from Yumei Private, fancy.”

Shoichi gave an awkward smile, rubbing his arm as his body slowly relaxed around Yamaguchi. 

“Nah, not really. The rating and average has gone down over the years, it pretty average now. The only thing above the average in Yumei is the cost.”

The two shared a quiet laugh as they turned the corner, coming to a stop at Yamaguchi’s signal.

“Here we are, Yamaguchi Bakery.”

Shoichi stared up at the sign as cogs turned in his brain,  memories and knowledge clicking left and right as he spun around to look at his new acquaintance. 

“Wait,  _ Yamaguchi _ Bakery?  My mum always brings home their stuff after work! Their cakes are so good! My sister and I practically worship their food! Their breads so soft and nice, and their- oh they're just so great!”

The spectacled boy had basically lived off their goods at one stage in his life, being too busy to actually eat, and as result relied on the snacks his mother brought home as his one source of nutrients during exam season. He still ate the Yamaguchi bread after school as a snack before he did his homework, the bread and other ingredients keeping him sated until dinner was ready. 

“Oh? Thanks, I'm sure kaa-san will love to hear that.”

…

“Wait, you're Yamaguchi Daiki, right?”

“Yes.”

The smile that slowly spread onto the other boy's face made the young redhead's cheeks match his hair.

“Yamaguchi, like the bakery-oh my god, I just ranted about your bakery in front of both you and your bakery-I am so sorry.”

Shoichi felt his ears burn as a hearty laugh left the taller boy beside him, the desire to just dig all the way to freaking  _ Germany _ becoming more and more prominent. 

“Nah, always good to hear that we're doing our job. We aim to please, Shoichi-san.” 

Yamaguchi gave him another smile before reaching into his pocket and producing a key, holding the door open for the stunned teen.

“Well, come on in.”

Now, Shoichi may have had eaten just about everything on the store's roster thirteen times over, but this was the first time the young boy had set foot in the  _ Yamaguchi Bakery! _

Oh, his sister is going to be  _ so  _ jealous. 

“Pardon the intrusion.” he muttered, ducking his head as he shuffled past his peer, glancing around the bakery.

It was warm inside the store, pleasant, despite the already warming up weather outside. The homely atmosphere seeped beneath his skin and persuaded his muscles to relax, his jitters and tension leaking out as he let out a deep breath, the smell of bread and pastries lining the air.

“Here, as an apology for screwing up your walk.”

Shoichi turned and blinked when he saw a bag full of green tea bread placed on the counter,  Yamaguchi leaning against the marble on his forearms as he gave him an apologetic smile.

“Wa-No! I couldn't!”

“I do believe we have been over this already, Shoichi-san. You agreed to let me replace the ones that I caused damage to, and here they are.”

The red haired boy bowed his head slightly before taking the familiar bag from the Yamaguchi’s hands, kind of upset that the buns wouldn't find rest in his own stomach.

“Now, go ahead and choose something for yourself.” 

Shoichi jumped.

“For some reason, I find myself doubting that those are going to be shared with you.”

His smile took the younger boy off guard, the softness of it making him clutch the bag harder as he glanced around at the displays.

“Ah, the cotton cheese cake? Maybe?” 

Jesus Christ, stop smiling! 

Shoichi squirmed as Yamaguchi pulled the cake slice from the rack, placing it in a small box and handing it over.

“I was right then.” The boy breathed, moving to write something down on a napkin.

The Yumei student only glanced away from him, giving a muted nod after a few moments of silence. 

“Well, I better get going. I'll probably only have a few minutes to spare by the time I get back to school.” Shoichi said, taking a step away from the counter.

Yamaguchi stared at him for a moment longer, not responding to the way his ears began to take on a red hue as Shoichi unintentionally compared them to amber stones.

“Well, it was nice to have met you, Shoichi Irie. I hope you enjoy the cake,  and please, do come again.” Another smile made the Yumei Private student flush before he nodded, a little too vigorously.

“S-same to you, Yamaguchi-san! I will! See you again, soon!”

He waved over his shoulder as he walked out, stumbling as he dropped sharply from the little step, a flush hitting his face harder as a quiet chuckle sounded from behind him. 

Shit! He has a nice laugh too!

**| S.I |**

* * *

 

Well then, there's Shoichi Irie.

God damn.

I didn't think he'd be such an awkward duckling.

Standing from the counter, I locked the door and switched off the lights, sneaking back into the house. As I slipped my shoes off, a cough clawed its way out of my throat, my chest shaking as my tongue fought back the gag that threatened to spill forth. 

“Ah,” I choked, thumping my chest. “Too much excitement.”

His flame. I had seen it.

It was small, almost pathetically so. Not nearly as bright or strong as Ryohei’s or mine. Definitely not Reborn’s. However, it had its own charm, a certain strength that curled up deep within the flame, securing it and letting the sunshine tongues flicker safely.

Another couch racked my body before I was left heaving, no air left to dispel from my lungs.

Shit, I shouldn't have left the house.

A quiet whimpering made me look down Mephisto and Lady looking up at me from my feet, their heads tilted as their tails dropped to the ground.

“I'm fine, nothing to worry about.” I breathed, opening the back door for them to run into the yard.

Maybe, I should go back to bed.

Yeah, bed. Good idea.

* * *

**|G.H|**

Gokudera Hayato glared up at the sign built over his head, translating the white kanji with genius ease.

_ Yamaguchi Bakery. _

A scowl bloomed across his face as he jammed his hands into his pockets, fingering a line up of mini bombs. Stepping forwards, the young Mafioso stopped himself from kicking the door, instead yanking out a hand and banging the side of his fist on the wood beside the glass.

When no response came, he did it again with more force, throwing his head back to hollar up at the other levels.

“Oi! Yamaguchi-san! Get your ass down ‘ere!”

The young storm ignored the looks he was getting from the people around him,  long used to being singled out in a crowd.

“Yamaguchi-san!  You can't hide from me!” he yelled, knocking again. 

_ “God damn, I'm coming you impatient little…” _

“I’M NOT LITTLE!” Gokudera yelled just as the door opened, stunning the baker's son for a moment. 

“Oh, good afternoon Gokudera-sa-”

“How long have you known about the Tenth?!” 

There was a pause, the elder boy’s eyes widening ever so slightly,  but enough for Gokudera to see.

“I have no idea what you're talking about. Wait, Tenth’s what you call Sawada-san, right?”

“You know what I’m talking about, you fuckin’ giant! Sawada Tsunayoshi being the Vongola Tenth! How long have you known!?”

Before he could react, Yamaguchi’s expression had changed and the young bomber’s collar had been grabbed and used to yank him inside of the building, the door slamming behind him.

“Shout it to the world why don't you, little one?” The taller boy hissed, locking the bakery door.

“You’ve been in the Tenth’s house! You've been in contact with him for  _ four _ years! Tell me, you bastard!”

Amber-earth eyes darted from the Storm Flame user to the door, before a defeated tilt to his lips became obvious.

“Not here, Gokudera-san. Further in the house.” He breathed,  grabbing the silver haired boy by the arm and leading him through the living space and up into Yamaguchi’s bedroom.

“Okay, now  _ spill _ .” The young Storm hissed, watching as the taller boy locked the simple wooden door.

Yamaguchi rested his forehead against the wood for a moment, before he let out a loud whoosh of air. 

“I’ve known for a while. Maybe a little after Reborn-san started coming to the bakery- he isn't exactly tight lipped about it.” He admitted, turning to face the smaller bomber. 

Gokudera surged forward, his pale hands coming and gripping the elder boy’s shirt as he slammed him back against his door, mint eyes glaring up at amber-earth. 

“Do you plan on hurting the Tenth? I know you don't like him, it's obvious by the way you act around him!”

There was a pause, the young Yamaguchi staring down at the small Mafioso, the cogs in his head visibly turning.

_ “And if I am?” _

The young bomber’s blood ran cold, a sudden pressure weighing down on his when he realised just how vulnerable he was. Just how many mistakes he made.

He was in Yamaguchi's territory. 

He didn't gather the proper stats on Yamaguchi's abilities. 

The space they were in was not his ideal arena, too small and cramped.

As if sensing Gokudera’s realisation, Yamaguchi’s eyes became sharp, the larger boy taking steps forwards and making the young bomber take his own back in caution.

“What will you do if I am proven to be hostile?”

The back of Gokudera’s knees hit the bed, making him fall back and sit on the green and yellow doona, forcing him to look up at the Sun flame user.

“What will you do if I plan on hurting-hell  _ killing _ the Tenth?” 

At this point, Yamaguchi was looming over him, using his height and broad shoulders to allow his shadow to swallow the smaller boy.

Gokudera clenched his fists as he glared up at him, eyes darting back and forth between Yamaguchi’s eyes and his shining, brass knuckles.

What would he do?

What would he do if someone tried to hurt Tenth? 

Well, that was obvious. 

“I'd kill you myself.” He declared,  squaring his shoulders.

“And if I turned out to be stronger than you expected?”

“I'd die trying.”

There was a tense silence, both boys refusing to back down as the air grew denser as flames tongued at the underside of their skins, ready and waiting to jump to action the second they were needed, knowingly or not.

“Good.”

What?

“What?” Gokudera gawked, the shadow over him moving back as a smile bloomed across Yamaguchi's face.

“That's a good answer. As expected of the Tenth’s Right hand.” He smirked, crossing tanned arms.

“Wait-What? Why’re..? Huh?” Gokudera couldn't seem to catch up to the situation, the tone changing so quickly that it threw him for a loop, the carpet being yanked from under his feet.

“I have no hostility towards Sawada-san, nor to the Tenth Vongola.”

The young bomber looked at the elder boy mutely as he pulled out his chair and sat down on it, leveling himself with his house guest.

“Your answer just then, it pleased me more than I care to admit. I now feel like I can fully trust you with the Little Fish.” He said, his smile taking on a softer tone.

“Trust me? Why would you need to trust me with the Tenth?” Gokudera asked.

“Four years, Gokudera-san. I've known that little boy for four years. I've taught him to swim, and I've taught him how to actually catch a ball.” The blue haired boy sighed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled further, almost as if admitting some sort of defeated.

“You're attached to the Tenth.” Gokudera breathed, the statement coming out airily. 

“That tends to happen, after four years of exposure.”

“I'm not sure just how or by how much I am attached to Sawada-san, but I know it's enough to cause worry when I see bombs going off at his  _ feet _ .” 

The pointed sharpness at the end of that was enough to make Gokudera flinch, the dynamite weighing heavy in his pocket.

“No need to feel sorry, I know how loyal you are to him, and you would never cause him intentional harm.”

“Of course not!” He snapped, the very idea preposterous.

“Which is why, I need you to promise me this: Will you look after them?”

There it was, the damn shift that always threw Gokudera for a moment.

“Look after them?”

“Yes, not just Sawada-san, but Takeshi-kun too. I'm no fool Gokudera-san, I know that the Mafia isn't a pretty place. You know that first hand.”

The young Storm gritted his teeth.

“You know the terrain you're about to head into better than any of them, so you're going to have to help them as much as possible. You're going to need to be their spear head, the storm at the centre of the attack.”

There was another moment of pause.

“Those boys, they don't know what they're getting into. Not really.” 

Gokudera noticed him look down at his hands, one coming to rub a slight discolouration on his arm.

“So, Gokudera-san? I don't expect you to do it yourself,  but until they find their feet, can you look after them?”

“I'd owe you, more than one.”

Instinctually, Gokudera’s mind grasped the line and stored it away, those words being just as valuable as gold and weaponry to the Mafia.

“Yeah. Yeah, I promise to look after them.” Finally came his answer, the words breaking the silence.

“Thank you.”

**...**

“Sorry about-you know- slamming you against the wall. And yelling at you. And stuff.” Gokudera muttered awkwardly, shuffling in the doorway of the Yamaguchi Bakery. 

“Nah, it's fine. I probably would have done the same thing.”

The young Storm scowled as he felt the tips of his ears begin to burn, the smile on Yamaguchi's face annoying him greatly for no feasible reason.

“Well, whatever, sorry still.”

His breath hitched and all bodily function shutdown for a split second, mental gears grinding to a halt as a soft heat pressed into his hair, large hands gently gripping his arms.

“Thank you, Little one. Truly.”

“A-a-ah! Whatever! Later, bastard!” Gokudera turned and made a break for it, praying that the elder boy didn't see pale skin turn red.

“AND I’M  _ NOT _ FUCKING  _ SHORT _ !”

**|G.H|**

* * *

 

Another cough rocked me as I closed the door behind the shrinking figure of Gokudera Hayato, a hand coming up to cover my mouth.

Turning from the door, I walked back to the kitchen, feeling lighter than I had in awhile.

You couldn't say I didn't try, I had spent most of those four years trying to persuade myself that hating Sawada Tsunayoshi was the only way to survive in this world. As we can see, however, that didn't seem to be working out for me very well.

At least, now I can take my mind off it.

I grimaced as I spat out a mouthful of salted, warm water, the liquid splashing against the metal sink of the kitchen.

Hectic,  was how I'd describe today. Not the worst, but not the relaxing one I had been expecting, or needing as it would seem.

Placing down the empty cup, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, moving from the sink to the living room, intent on returning to my bed.

_ “Who was that?” _

I'd like to say I descended with grace at that moment, but the tell tale sounds of crashing and my glass cup shattering as I dragged practically half the kitchen down with me as I fell seemed to deny the statement any credibility.

“What the hell-Oh my _ God!”  _

I stared wide eyed at the figure standing before me in a less than decent state, towel wrapped around their waist and hair dripping with water as they crossed their arms over their bare chest.

“Why was Gokudera-kun here, shujin-kun?”

Now, I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Yamamoto’s were descended from samurai,  _ not ninja. _

“I'll answer that, right after you tell me why you're naked in my kitchen, Takeshi-kun.”

Oh, I didn't like that smile.

* * *

**|Y.T|**

Takeshi sighed as he entered the shopping district, having just arrived after telling his father the news about Daiki’s absence, and given the green light to go check on him.

It was just after practice, and his legs were stinging from a less than well executed safe slide, leaving the young rain with two, dirt filled scraps riding up his legs and arms, stinging whenever his clothes grazed them. He probably should have gone home, or the nurse’s office at least, and got them cleaned up, but the desire to see his fiance muted any pain he received from the frayed nerve ends.

Fishing out his phone, typing in the password, he idly began scrolling through his old stash of pictures. Images dating back to when he was nine being stored in the machine he almost never parted with.

A small smile came to his face when he stopped on an image, the memory connected to it cooling his hot blood.

It was a simple image, taken on a regular Sunday morning. In the frame, there was an image of a dirtied Daiki and Takeshi,  their knees covered in soil and grass stains. Their clothes had seen better days, a small hole being worn through Takeshi’s pants from the sheer amount of times he had practiced slide safes. The elder boy's arms were wrapped around Takeshi as they heaved with laughter, sunny smiles on their faces as they tried to collect themselves. 

He didn't remember his father taking it, but he was grateful for it.

Looking up from his phone, the young Rain came to a stop, reading the familiar sign hanging over the Yamaguchi shop.

Reaching for the door, he paused when he noticed it was locked, but heard voices from inside. They were harsh,  and too muffled to tell who they were and what they were saying, but auditable enough to be known.

Frowning, Takeshi took a step back and thought over the situation, before jogging around the bakery and jumping their fence, landing solidly in the backyard. The sounds of Mephisto proved to him that, yes, someone was indeed home.

“Hey Miphy,” he greeted quietly, still stumbling over the name even after years of practice. “ Is the back door open? I need to get in to see shujin-kun.”

The white pup yipped before taking off around the corner, Lady following after him, before head butting the door, the wooden slate swinging open.

“You're the best!” the young Rain laughed, ruffling the terrier’s fur.

Gently toeing off his shoes, the Yamamoto child crept into the house. He kept his breath quiet as the voices continued, keeping steady and quiet. As the young Rain reached the stairs, shifting his weight to climb wooden steps in a particular style he had formed over the years, the silence it granted allowing him to jump his fiancé many a time.

_ “I'd owe you, more than one.” _

Takeshi stopped, the familiar base reaching his ears as he reached the top of the stairs. Shuffling over to the wall, the young Yamamoto leaned next to the door of Daiki’s room.

There was no sound for a moment, the young Rain holding his breath in fear of alerting whoever his Daiki was talking to.

_ “Yeah. Yeah, I promise to look after them.”  _

Gokudera?

What was Gokudera doing in Daiki’s room?

_ “Thank you.” _

Takeshi’s breath hitched.

Daiki, he sounded so weak. Tired and worn, but so relieved. A moment of fragility that made his voice soft and airy, his emotion obvious for all to see.

And Takeshi  _ didn’t get to see. _

His eyes narrowed slightly as he pressed his pads into the wall behind him, forcing himself to remain still as silence rang through the house.

_ “Okay, well, I better get going.” _

Sucking in a sharp breath, the young Rain pushed off the wall and swiftly padded across the small hall, slipping into the bathroom just as the handle of Daiki’s door turned. Taking a deep breath, the young Rain took steps back from the door, leaning against the tiled wall on the other end.

What was Gokudera doing here? What did he promise Daiki? 

A light scowl lit his face, his hand coming to slam against the wall to try and restrain his raising aggravation.  Hissing, the young Rain recoiled as a shower of lukewarm water pelted down on him, his hand coiled around the upturned knob of the taps.

Wet and more than a little aggravated, Takeshi stepped out of the shower and shut off the water. stripping himself of his waterlogged clothing, he threw them to the floor with a little too much aggression and gritted his teeth.

He needed to see Daiki. Now.

Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his hips and descended the stairs, keeping his footsteps just barely audible out of habit.

_ “Well, whatever, sorry still.” _

Takeshi’s eyes widened as he paused at the base of the stairs, just out of their line of sight, but where he could see the last thing he ever wanted to.

_ “Thank you, little one. Truly.”  _

…

_ Calm.  _

Calm yourself, Takeshi.

Communicate with him. Have confirmation. Fill in the blanks. 

_ Do. Not. Attack. _

The young Rain watched as Daiki closed the door after the pale haired teen, before hunching slightly, coughs racking his body.

A flash of concern rushed through the young Yamamoto, half of him wanting to help his shaking fiance, the other wanting to be the one shaking him. Stepping off the last of the case, he began padding after his Daiki, letting him soothe his throat with salted water and hack up another portion of his lungs, before deciding to make himself known.

“Who was that?”

In any other situation, Takeshi would have laughed at the scene presented to him, but at that moment, the noise and swearing that sounded off only worked to grate on his nerves.

“What the hell-Oh my _ God!”  _

Flexing his crossed arms to try and turn down the heat on his simmering blood, the young Rain tried again, just barely keeping his temper lidded.

“Why was Gokudera-kun here, shujin-kun?”

“I'll answer that, right after you tell me why you're naked in my kitchen, Takeshi-kun.”

Wrong move. 

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Takeshi let his smile become sharp, tilting his head just so in a manner he knew would set off alarms.

“No, you’ll answer me first, shujin-kun. Why was Gokudera here? And why did you  _ kiss him? _ ”

Taking a certain joy in the tensing of the elder boy’s body at his tone, he watched as his fiance slowly collected himself and stood, being careful to not go to his full height in front of his simmering partner.

“Kiss? When did I…?” 

Takeshi frowned as the taller boy did as well, looking legitimately confused, before realisation dawned on his face, the fear that followed bathed the baseballer in cold water, while boiling him from the inside.

“Oh.”

“Yes, ‘oh’. Now, care to share?” The young Rain hissed, leaning slightly.

“Okay, I didn’t kiss Gokudera-san. Not in the way I think that you think I did. It was a forehead kiss, ya know- on the forehead? Not on the mouth.”

The young Yamamoto narrowed his eyes further, a firm downward tilt to his lips.

“You swear it? You’re not lying?” 

His fiance placed a hand over his heart and held the other up, displaying his palm.

“I promise, I have never- and will never- engage in physical pleasure through one Gokudera Hayato.”

“Or anyone else?”

“Or anyone else.” Daiki breathed, nodding as he sighed.

“Good. Now, why was he here?”

“He came to talk about Sawada-san, he thought I was being hostile towards him, and - well, you know how he is towards the boy.” He answered, gesturing to air with his hands.

“True.” 

Takeshi let out a long breath, his blood settled and a certain heat in his core cooled down, allowing him to take a step towards his fiance.

“Shujin-kun, you were absent from sch-Holy!”

Both boys let out harmonious screams of surprise as Takeshi’s towel descended his legs, pooling around his feet.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!”

“Why!? This is the second one I’ve seen this term!”

“What?!”

“It was just Ryohei-kun’s, so it doesn't really count!” 

“Ryohei-san?!”

“If it makes you feel better, yours is bigger than his!”

“How is that meant to make me feel better!”

“I don’t know! Just cover yourself, Goddamnit!”

**…**

Takeshi pouted up at Daiki as he accepted a cup of milk, a pair of his fiance’s sweatpants and oversized shirt covering his body as his hair dripped onto the towel hanging on his shoulders.

“So, we all good now?” The taller boy asked, dropping down on the couch next to him.

“No, I’m grumpy again.” He muttered into his cup, sipping the calcium restoring liquid.

“Why? Because of Ryohei-kun accidentally flashing me?”

“Accidently? Really?” Takeshi asked, giving him an unconvinced look.

Daiki paused for a moment, before giving a sheepish smile.

“Okay, he kicked the bathroom door in and posed dramatically. So, maybe not so accidental.”

“Mhm.” He hummed, putting his cup down.

“And because of that, you need to pamper me.” He declared, draping himself over his fiance’s lap.

“What are you, a cat?”

“No, I’m your husband, I’m worse.”

Takeshi grinned as his body vibrated from Daiki’s laughter, a hand coming to tangle through his hair.

“Ah, you still don’t dry your hair properly, hey?” 

The young Rain gave a groan as he was manhandled onto the floor, forced to sit between Daiki’s legs and his towel as thrown over his head, large hands coming to begin rubbing the water out.

“C’mon, Daiki-kun!”

“I’m already sick, Takeshi-kun, we don’t need you getting a cold as well.”

Takeshi gave a quiet hum as the elder boy smoothed out his hair with his hand, removing the towel and testing the dampness, before giving his own hum of approval.

“Okay, all done.”

The young Rain shook out his hair before scrambling back up and straddling the taller boy, grinning further at his wide eyed expression.

“So, you were sick today?”

“Yeah, it was pretty cold...last night.”

A frown settled on Takeshi’s face as the tone of the environment dropped again, a phantom pain buzzing in his hand as the memory of the last night came back with a bitter taste. Standing, the teenaged Yamamoto collected his fiance’s hand and led him up the stairs, the older boy flicking off lights as they walked.

“How’s your hand?”

That was the third time he had asked that in so many hours, despite the response always being a positive.

“It’s fine. You healed it.”

Laying down on the green and gold blankets, Takeshi dragged the blue haired boy along with him, throwing an arm over his chest and burrowing into his side. 

They laid in silence for a few minutes, the sound of breathing and the little clock in the corner ticking away, the only sounds in the room. The sun had long gone down, and Takeshi had barely half the mind to interrupt the quiet to text his father a notice of extended absence, only to pause as Daiki made to move first.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I am not  _ allowed _ to hurt you.” He breathed, still staring up at the ceiling.

The young Rain blinked up at him, keeping quiet when he noticed him prepare to continue.

“If I hurt you, you have to tell me. If I am  _ about _ to hurt you, you have to stop me.” The elder boy declared, turning his head to look at his focus.

Takeshi gazed at the little scar on his brow, usually hidden by stands of blue hair, his hand coming to graze it with his finger tips.

“It hurts, but only sometimes. Phantom pain, really.”

“I’m sorry.”

He withdrew his hand, before lowering it slightly to let it hover above the elder boy’s mouth.

“Kiss it better.”

Gradually, Daiki’s hand came up and gently grasped the younger boy’s wrist, pressing the paler palm to his lips in a soft kiss.

“Why are you so afraid of hurting me?”

Another kiss was placed onto the back of his hand, the young Rain’s breath coming out more airy.

“My father.”

This made Takeshi’s attention sharpen, this being the first mention of the man in the years of knowing him.

“What about him?”

Five quick kisses were brushed across his finger tips, calloused from years of use.

“He was a...disagreeable man.”

Takeshi recognised this tone, the way he spoke showing just how averse he was to the man in question.

“How so?” He knew he had to keep asking, knowing he was only going to get as much as he asked for.

“Domestic violence towards my mother.”

Another kiss was pressed against his palm, harder, this time.

“I don’t remember this.”

“You would have been too young, five at the most.”

Daiki paused his attentions and extended the young Rain’s arm, the red marks of the safe slides catching his eye.

“Where did you get this?” He asked, a certain sharpness in his voice.

“Baseball practice. You made me skip getting them checked on. Fix them.”

Takeshi watched as he skimmed his mouth across the grated skin, faint wisps of sunshine peeking through his lips and disappearing into paler flesh, mending the damage.

“Where is he now? Your father.”

There was a pause in both movement and voice.

“ _ Hell if I know. _ ”

It took all of Takeshi’s control not to flinch at his tone, a faint frown coming instead.

“Is there anywhere else?” 

“My legs.”

Despite Takeshi’s quiet complaint, the larger boy sat up and situated himself beside the younger’s legs, pulling them into his lap and pushing up the pant legs with ease.

“Why did he leave?” The young Rain asked, breath hitching when soft flesh was pressed onto the sensitive skin of his lower leg.

“When I was six. Nine years ago.” He felt the mumble against his calf, muscles tensing under the other’s grip.

“Why did he leave?” He asked as the blue haired boy grasped the other side, bringing the calf to his mouth.

“I got rid of him.”

Takeshi’s eyes widened ever so slightly as his leg was lowered, his partner fixing his pants before moving back to lay beside him. 

“Okay, thank you.” He hummed, rolling slightly to half lay atop Daiki, the boy’s other tan arm coming to wrap around his back.

The young Rain watched his partner for a good while, letting him pepper his hand with light kisses that left behind patches of warmth. 

“Hey, Takeshi-kun?” He called, drawing the younger boy out of his daze.

“Yes?”

Amber-earth eyes fell from their intertwined hands to his own black ones, the determined but defeated look making his jaw jump.

“If you tell me I am hurting you, and I continue to hurt you-”

He didn’t like where this was going.

“Get rid of me.”

No. Not going to happen. He wouldn’t allow it.

“Takeshi-kun.” Daiki hissed, narrowing his eyes.

“Okay.” He lied.

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

I let out a sigh as the night came rushing back, the weight on my stomach reminding me of my house guest. I felt less ill compared to the day before, my fever all but gone, and the scratchiness in the back of my throat abysmal.  The certain weariness in my core hinting to the midnight oil the little bonfire of Will had burnt to keep me, and the young Rain no doubt, healthy.

Streams of sunlight trickled into the room, bathing half of us in morning rays, illuminating the quiet room, as I slowly raised my hand and gently patted down Takeshi’s hair, letting my head fall back. Glancing over at my side table, a quiet groan rumbled in my chest as the hands readied to line up and break out into chorus.

4:30am, time to get up.

Looking down at the mop of black on my chest, I fiddled with the idea of waking the younger boy up, before shaking it off and deciding to try and slip out from under him.

“Okay.” I breathed, grabbing a bundle of clothing and slipping out of the room.

I padded down the stairs, yawning as took my apron off the hook and stepped into the bakery.

“Morning, kaa-san.”

“Morning, Daiki-kun.”

Oh God. What did I do?

I looked at her for a moment, a sudden wave of caution taking hold of me when I noticed the passive expression on her face.

She’s angry. Shit.

“Is...Is something wrong?” Came my question, carefully scuttling past her to pick up a crate of meats.

“No, nothing.”

Okay, something’s definitely wrong.

We moved in a stiff synchrony, ticking off mental lists as we created batch after batch of bread and pastries. Once all the racks were filled, I grabbed a spare box, glancing over at Kaede, noticing her stance.

“Well,”

Here we go.

“Nothing except for that young man in your bed.”

_ What?!  _

“Wh-FUCK!” I yelped, yanking my foot out of under the 50kg crate I had just dropped on it, hopping over to the counter to lean on as I clutched the limb.

“Look, Daiki-kun, I know this is a hard time for you. All of your hormones are changing and you’re feeling all of these different things-”

“No, kaa-san, stop! I am not having this conversation with you!”

“You’ll learn to control yourself in time, but until them remember: be safe when having-”

“Nahp! Nope! I’m out! Have a nice morning, kaa-san!” I shouted, booking it out of the bakery as best as I could with a lame foot.

_ “You’ll have to learn one day!” _

Been there, done that, no thanks!

As I opened the door, I was greeted with the visage of a barely awake Takeshi, leaning back on one arm as he scrubbed his face with his hand.

Blinking, I tilted my head when I noticed, I was a lot bigger than Yamamoto Takeshi. The solid shirt that fitted my frame, hung loosely off of the younger boy’s, the collar reaching further across his shoulders than it did on mine. The pants that were only slightly baggy on me, tented around his own legs, the string being pulled tightly to stop them from falling off his hips.

It was a bit left field to the ‘boyfriend’s shirt’ trend, a part of me used to the girls being the one who ended up swimming in their partner’s clothing, but I guess, I understand the appeal now.

“Good morning, Takeshi-kun.” I greeted, walking over to him as he gave me a tired smile.

“Morning, shujin-kun. Where’d you go?” He asked, the tired lilt to his voice making me almost want to coo.

“It’s already 6:30, I was getting the bakery ready with kaa-san. You should start getting ready for school.” I hummed, gently running a hand through his mess of bed hair.

“Hm, don’t wanna.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, but that’s not allowed. C’mon, get up.” 

Nudging the smaller boy until he sat up properly, I glanced over my shoulder and sighed when I noticed a pile of ironed and folded Namimori uniforms that were definitely not there the previous night.

“The bathroom’s down the hall, you know where. We’ll go an grab your books from your house before we head to the school.” I breathed, coaxing the sleepy boy from the bed before handing him his clothes.

“Okay.” He grumbled, padding out of the room in a daze.

Grabbing my own squared pile, I moved to the first level and used the smaller shower in the laundry, cleaning and drying myself before the one upstairs finished his morning rinse. I threw my towel on the couch as I straightened my tie, one hand coming to tuck away my set of brass.

“Morning, Takeshi-kun!” Kaede called from the kitchen, looking way too pleased with herself.

“Ah, good morning, Kaede-kaa-san!” Takeshi laughed, coming off the staircase, his tie hanging around his neck, undone.

“Hey, Daiki-kun, can you fix my tie? I can’t get it.” He whined, stepping forwards.

I raised an eyebrow but gestured him forwards, taking up the two ends in my hands and tying the Windsor knot for my underclassman with practised ease.

“There you go.” I said, fixing his collar before taking steps back and nodding at his uniform.

“Takeshi-kun, Daiki-kun! Breakfast!”

“Coming!” We chorused, moving after the call.

* * *

 

“Run. Run. Run. Run.” I chanted, both Takeshi and I turning the corner as the final flood of students slipped into the building.

“Safe!” He cheered, sliding through the gates just as the bell rang.

“Jesus, let’s never do that again.” I panted, hands on my knees.

“Haha, but it was kind’a fun!”

No. No it wasn’t. I can assure you.

_ “Herbivores. The bell has rung, get to class.” _

“Hi, Hibari-san! Bye, Hibari-san!” I yelped throwing the young Yamamoto over my shoulder practically and booking it into the building.

“Hahaha! Wow, you run really fast, Daiki-kun!”

We really need to get you checked out, Takeshi.

* * *

 

“ _ WHERE THE EXTREME HELL HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE EXTREME!? _ ”

I shrunk down in my chair as Ryohei seemed to tower over me, the rest of the class shuffling away as the teacher closed the door behind him.

“I was sick?” I tried, raising my hands in defence when he looked just about ready to lunge at me.

“You EXTREME piece of-  _ text me _ when you’re sick! Do you know how EXTREMELY worried I was!?” He roared, grabbing me by my collar and shaking me back and forth.

“My- ap-o-lo-gies.” I stuttered out in time with the swings, hands coming to wrap around his wrists.

“Sasagawa-kun, please stop assaulting Yamaguchi-kun and take your seat.” The teacher sighed, walking into the class with an English text book tucked under his arm.

“Yes, sensei.” The light haired boy grumbled, dragging me down onto our chairs with him.

Taking out our books, we situated ourselves as the teacher began the class, Ryohei shifting until he let his head fall onto my shoulder, a faint grumble leaving him.

“Screw you, Daiki-kun. Making me worried for no reason.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think you were concerned.”

I felt him frown into my shoulder.

“Of course I’d be worried, you’re my-”

_ “Okay, lover boys. No talking in class, unless it’s in English.”  _ The teacher called, the rest of the class breaking out into giggles as they pieces together the sentence.

_ “Sorry, sir.”  _ Came our accented apologies.

“I ship it.” Someone said from behind us, making me reached behind my back and wave at him with my middle finger, his neighbour giving a loud laugh.

* * *

 

“I am  _ so  _ sorry!” My classmate apologised again, all but bowing to me as I pulled my PE shirt from my arms.

“It’s fine! It’s fine! Barely even hurt!”

“ _ Barely even hurt!? _ He kicked you in the  _ balls! _ ” Half the changing room roared, people slamming walls and throwing things on the floor in disbelief.

Now, despite what many may think, girls  _ do _ get hurt when they get kicked between the legs. Maybe not as much as the males, but anywhere can hurt if you hit it hard enough. There is a bunch of nerves down there, after all.

“Yeah, and it hurt  _ then _ , but I’m fine  _ now.  _ So, no need to keep apologising.” I sighed, turning to the bowing boy and waving off another barrage of apologies.

Rolling my eyes as the sweat scented room flew into another fit, I picked up the shirt on my bag, before giving a loud sigh.

“Ryohei-kun, dude, you have my shirt again.” 

“Eh, I do?” He squawked, freezing on one foot as he tried to get his pants back on.

“Ah, sorry.”

Quickly swapping shirts, we were one of the first students out of the room, the sunnier of the two of us ducking under a deodorant can thrown in our direction.

“Daiki-kun!”

Oh hell.

“Hey, Takeshi-kun.” I smiled,  accepting his hug with my free arm.

“EXTREME afternoon,  Takeshi-san!” Ryohei roared in greeting, giving the smallest of our trio a manly slap on the back. 

“Afternoon, Ryohei-san!”

“ _ Baseball-idiot! How dare you ditch the Tenth!” _

Oh look, there’s Gokudera and Tsuna. 

“Good afternoon,  little one.” I greeted, brushing off how the young Rain’s arm came up to mimic my own arm in wrapping around my waist.

“I'm not fucking little!”

“Ah, Gokudera-kun! Calm down!” Tsuna squeaked, jumping at the raise in volume.

“Good afternoon, Sawada-san. How are you?” 

I felt Ryohei shift behind me, the flames on my radar suddenly all becoming stiff as the young Sky turned his attention to me.

“A-ah, I'm good! And y-you?! Yamaguchi-san!?”

“I'm doing fine as well.”

The five of us stood in a certain silence, Takeshi seeming more than happy to just nuzzle me in public, giving me a reason to look away from the stares of the two Mafia across from me.

The young Sky paused his fidgeting and looked ready to say something, going as far as stepping forwards and unravelling his intertwined hands, only to be foiled by the gym teacher hollering at the top of his voice.

“Second years! Get moving!”

“EXTREMELY COMING, SENSEI!” Ryohei roared for the class, the rest of our peers flooding out of the door.

I let the young Rain pull my head down so he could reach my lips with his own, vaguely hearing both Gokudera and Tsuna let out varying noises of surprise and embarrassment.

Parting from the group with Ryohei by me, we jogged until we joined up with the rest of our class. I brushed off the varying wolf whistles in reference to the PDA, pushing some of the boys lightheartedly when they reenacted a dramatized version of the scene.

“Oh, get over it. I’ll laugh at you when you get whipped by your girl in the future.” I snarked, throwing a rather outright boy into his crowd of hooting friends.

Pausing, I tilted my head when a faint noise caught my attention, the rest of the class turning theirs to each other instead.

_ "That's so embarrassing! You thought the World Cup was a kind of cup noodle!" _

Shifting my gaze, I zeroed in on the young Sawada standing off to the side of the class soccer game, gaping at his hand with a fear only he could exude.

"I-It talks!" He screeched, moving the limb further from his body.

Letting my brows furrow, I tried to piece together the scene before me, the familiarity ticking me off when the parts didn't click as they should.

Something talking on his hand? Didn't it say something about embarrassing?

On the hand, and embarrasses the possessor… Skulls?

I held my chin as I tried to link the sudden mental image of a skull to the event, blocking out Ryohei's screams of "EXTREME MATHEMATICS!" as I closed my eyes.

Unintentionally, I 'eyed' the muted Sky Flames presented to me, a frown coming to my face as I noticed a strange movement about it. Taking a risk, I let my Flames closer, tilting my view until I could see the whole mass of fire.

Ah, there it is.

Whenever a scathing remark was sounded, his Flame would flinch. The tongues of orange cringing away from the voice and fading slightly.

"-iki-kun? Daiki-kun! Wake up, bread slice!" 

"What?" I yelped, coming back to reality as the afterglow of Will Flames faded from my vision.

"Time to go." Ryohei said, throwing his thumb over his shoulder, before giving a concerned expression.  "Is something EXTREMELY wrong?"

I glanced over at the freaking out Vongola, before shaking my head, giving a negative response.

"Nah, just a bit absent minded today."

* * *

 

"Sorry Ryohei-kun, I gotta help kaa-san out at the bakery today, so I need to be in working order. I'll make it up by boxing with you tomorrow, I swear." I apologised, giving the pouting boxer a pat on the back.

"Fine. But you have to give it your all to the EXTREME tomorrow! I won't go easy on you!"He roared, suddenly pumped despite the earlier put-down.

"Sure, sure. See ya, tell Kyoko-chan I said 'hey'."

"Later, Daiki-kun!"

Giving a smile, I turned and began jogging towards the gates, passing the tittering students as I exited the school.

Now alone, a frown marred my face as the damned scratching at the back of my mind returned, the scene from before irritating me with how it alluded my grasp.

What was it? C'mon, you'll kick yourself when you figure it out, I'm sure!

Groaning, I brought my hand up and scrubbed my face, giving a sigh as any ground I had made towards my answer crumbled under me.

"Ah! Yamaguchi-san?!"

Oh God, exactly what I needed. A flailing fish.

Pausing, I looked over my shoulder, eyes landing on the Sky in which I dwarfed on a daily basis.

"Hello, Sawada-san. Can I help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no! I was just- you know- walking and, well I saw you and..." He stumbled, hands coming to wring in front of him as he dropped his eyes to the path.

"Sawada-san," I called, taking steps towards him. "Look at people when you talk to them."

* * *

**|S.T|**

Tsuna kept his head down as he avoided the prying eyes of his classmates, his hands jammed into his pits as he tried to muffle the wailing skulls marring his palms.

_ "How embarrassing! Even though you're in Middle School, you can still don't know your times tables beyond twos!" _

Oh God, shut up! Shut up!

"Sawada-san!" The teacher snapped, making the young Vongola jump in his seat.

"Y-yes, sensei!?" He yelped, straightening his back.

"Is that a device I'm hearing?" 

"N-no! I was just talking to myself!" Tsuna squeaked, pressing his hands deeper into his ribs.

"Well stop! It's distracting the class!"

"Sorry." The small boy sagged, coiling in on himself as the class burst out into giggles at his expense.

**…**

_ "How embarrassing! You walked around Tokyo with your pants inside out!" _

"Please, stop." The small Vongola sighed, raising the hand before him to look tiredly down at his inked palm.

Why was he always the one at the butt of a joke? A cosmic joke, at that. Did some sort of deity take joy in his pain? Is that why he was almost always in this sort of situation these days?

The young Sky took a deep breath, preparing to let it out as audibly as he could, only to have someone a few paces ahead of him beat him to it. His head of fluffy brown snapped up as the familiar bass sounded in his ears, instantly recognising the broad back before him and the head of short blue tinted hair.

"Ah! Yamaguchi-san!?" He squawked, legitimately surprised to see him on the walk home, his mind supplying that the upperclassman should be attending to his club activity around that time.

"Hello, Sawada-san. Can I help you?" Came his low voice, the notes rumbling in the young Vongola's ears.

"Oh, no! I was just- you know- walking and, well I saw you and..."

He couldn't help but drop his gaze, the dark eyes of the elder boy making him cower under their intense passiveness. 

God damn Tsuna, talk to him! 

"Sawada-san," 

The tired tone in his voice made the young Sky tense, a sudden fear taking him as black school shoes walked to go toe to toe with his own scuffed ones.

"Look at people when you talk to them."

The breath in Tsuna's lungs became thin as he felt the side of a calloused finger lift his chin, forcing him to look up at the much taller boy who was suddenly much closer.

"It's common courtesy, Little Fish."

The young Decimo wasn't sure if it was Yamaguchi's actions that made him flush, or the familiar name from years before that made a warmth curl in his chest, having not heard it in a while. 

Look at people when you talk to them...

Tsuna's eyes trailed up the elder boy's tanned face, a small part of him marvelling at how mature he looked, even compared to the day at the pool. When they landed on amber-earth orbs, he couldn't help but let his shoulders sag slightly, the spectrum of brown and gold always amazing him whenever he got the chance to see them close enough.

They were always so sure, even in crisis, they knew what was going on, unlike the dameness he seemed to be damned with. 

On a single occasion, at least two years ago, Tsuna had been opportune enough to get a proper look at the spectrum, close enough that he could see the grainy dunes of amber as they dipped into earthy valleys to contrast against the crests. If he could experience that again, he would be happy, over the moon even.

From this angle, however, he had a better vantage point of the lashes that framed the treasured orbs. Long and thick, similar to girls, but set out in an almost masculine manner. A perfect balance between strong and delicate.

"You were saying, Sawada-san?" His focus asked, tilting his chin further up to pull him from his musing.

"Huh?" The young Vongola breathed, his once half lidded eyes snapping back to alert wide.

_ “How embarrassing! Since you were 9, you’ve compared Yamaguchi-san’s eyes to gems!” _

Fear welled in Tsuna's gut as Yamaguchi's eyes widened slightly, the cool hand supporting his chin removing itself as he straightened, flashes of confusion showing in the eyes in question.

"Pardon?" He asked, glancing down to where the grainy voice had originated.

_ “Heeii!”  _ Tsuna screeched,  jamming his hands under his arms, face going an absolute red.

“That wasn't me! I swear! You're hearing things!”

_ “How embarrassing!  Even though you like his smile so much, you've only got him to smile at you seventeen times of his own will!” _

"Shoosh! For Christ's sake!" The small Decimo whispered harshly, curling slightly when he saw the firm line that was Yamaguchi's lips.

"Is there something wrong with your...Show me your hands, Sawada-san."

Tsuna took a sharp breath as the sudden drop in the elder boy's tone, hunching his shoulders in defence when he reached out to grab his arm.

"Sawada-san." He warned, reaching further.

"Ah, Yamaguchi-san, it's fine! Really! It's just a weird-"

_ "Oh, how embarrassing! You're still afraid at the top of the slide!" _

The next scream Tsuna released was both due to the declaration of humiliation, and the wrist that was now held tightly in the blue haired boy's grasp.

"What on Earth..." He mumbled, other hand coming to trace the chattering skull gently.

"A-ah, it's just a drawing!" 

"An animated one, I'm sure." The taller boy hummed, rubbing his thumb over the marking to see if it would smudge.

"I...I don't know what it is." Tsuna admitted, slouching in defeat.

_ "That's..." _

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no. Reborn, no!

The two boys snapped their attention to the hooded baby on the fence, the young Vongola's hand unintentionally wrapping around the fingers in his palm.

_ "Ah, Reborn-san." _

Tsuna took in a hissed breath, eyes widening at just how  _ poisonous _ his voice became. 

"It's the sign of the fatal Skull Disease you have. You're going to die, Dame-Tsuna." The baby hitman continued, not deterred by his less than welcoming acknowledgement. 

"Ah, so that's it..." The young Vongola barely registered hearing Yamaguchi breath, the fact of his imminent death taking priority.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you a god of death, or something?"

Reborn then produced a magnifying glass from within his robe, holding it up to his eye as if to inspect the young Decimo's neck.

"I see the shadow of death." He groaned faux-eerily.

"Stop it already! Don't joke around!" Especially when Yamaguchi's here!

"I'm not joking around."

Oh God, what?

Tsuna's jaw progressively lowered as the baby hitman continued to talk, stabs of fear and disbelief striking him left and right. 

"Perhaps, it could be a prank? Do you want to try and wash it off, Sawada-san?" Yamaguchi asked, making the young Vongola jump.

"Ah!" He gasped, renewed hope appearing. "Yeah, it should come off! I mean, Skull Disease? Who'd believe that!?"

He decided to ignore that, he himself, had fallen for it for a moment.

The three males walked to the nearest park, Yamaguchi taking up a seat on the wall beside the tap that Tsuna deemed webless enough to use.

"What the hell!?" He shouted, gawking at his still marred palm.

"I take it that the skull has not disappeared, then?" The way he said it was as if he knew that that was the outcome, despite him being the one offering the possible solution.

_ "That's so embarrassing! You get motion sickness on swings!" _

Wait, did the voice move!?

Tsuna let out a yelp as the taller boy moved off the wall and grabbed him, one hand slipping under his shirt and pulling the layers up to reveal another skull chattering away on his right side.

"There's more!?"

The young Sky bit his lip as Yamaguchi's tanned palm came and pressed against the skin just beneath the skull, an inquisitive expression on his face as he leant forwards, making the Vongola Decimo feel the waves of heat from his breath.

"The Skull Disease is a sickness in which skulls appear on your body and tell embarrassing secrets until you, finally, die." Reborn hummed, folding his hands behind his back, once again in his regular suit rather than his cosplay.

"So, basically it's dying of embarrassment. Like dying of shame?" The blue haired boy clarified, standing from his crouch before Tsuna.

"Effectively."

"There's no way that's true!" The young Vongola yelped, spinning around and scrubbing his palms under the water, kneading his thumb into the skin in desperate hope.

_ "That's so embarrassing! You skipped school on a school-wide vacation day!" _

"That's not so bad."

Tsuna jumped, looking over his shoulder at the taller boy, finding him leaning over him to watch the attempted ablution.

"I mean, that means you didn't miss a day of school. And, if you had felt guilty, you didn't do anything wrong and probably tried to amend. Am I correct?"

With a flushed face, the young Sky gave a mute nod, eye wide at just how close the other boy's face was.

_ "How embarrassing! When you talked in your sleep, you bit your tongue!" _

"...Ow." Was the blue haired boy's only comment for that one, the young Vongola flushing further.

"Shut up!" He snapped at the skull, driving the heel of his opposite palm into the marking.

"You should already know these secrets, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn chirped, moving from the wall to the fine gravel ground.

"That's true, but..." He glanced over at the neutral faced Yamaguchi.

"So, this is a real disease then?" The blue haired boy asked, taking up Tsuna's hand to see the still pristine skull.

"That's what I said."

He felt the grip on his wrist jump.

"By the way, the Skull Disease will cause you to die after two hours of contracting it."

"What?!" Yamaguchi hissed.

"What!? No! I don't wanna die!" Tsuna cried, subconsciously moving towards the body holding his wrist as if to hide or draw comfort.

"And to listen to all my embarrassing moments, too." He wept, collapsing against the pillar of muscle beside him.

"Don't worry, they'll keep talking after you die." Reborn corrected, before giving the distraught boy a thumbs up.  "It'll be a funeral full of smiles."

Tsuna felt the shift before he noticed it, the sudden tension in the body beside him hinting to the next action.

"Okay, that's it Reborn-san. You're getting this little Fish a doctor, stat." Yamaguchi ordered, pulling the young Vongola Decimo to his feet.

"And why would I do that?"

He felt a stab of fear hit him in the gut, winding him for a moment, unsure if it was from the blatant blow off, or the sudden darkness that consumed his upperclassman's face.

"Well, my mother has begun thinking that the Yamaguchi Bakery isn't making the profits it needs from the pecan bread, or the coffee cake, as of late. She's debating whether we should cut them from our line, eliminating them from our store for the foreseeable future." Came his based tone, Tsuna's eyes widening when he spotted the horrified gleam just barely peeking out from under the baby hitman's fedora brim.

"However," Yamaguchi continued, bringing the young Vongola before him, placing his tanned hands on thin shoulders and leaning over the smaller boy, making him feel a warmth spread across his back.

"I could persuade my mother to keep them there in exchange for another.  _ If _ , you find my Little Fish a doctor within the time limit. What was it again? Three hours?"

"Two, actually." His self-proclaimed tutor corrected, Tsuna wondering if it was just his ears playing a trick on him or not, was he  _ grumbling _ ?

"Well, we better get on it then. Anyone in mind, Reborn-san?" The taller boy asked, looking way too satisfied with himself.

"I do have one, that I can think of." 

If it weren't for the muddled rush of relief and lingering waves of awe and fear that clouded Tsuna's mind, he might have just sensed the impending danger that rang alarms in the far corner of his mind.

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

**|REBORN|**

Good.

Not what he had expected. But good, nonetheless.

Yamaguchi was still up for grabs, the fact that he got riled up enough to step to Reborn personally was enough to prove that. He was doing pretty well, given that he had barely any leverage over the little Hitman, very well indeed. 

But still, why Reborn’s baked goods? He had already held Leon to someone’s head when they had interrupted his morning snack.

The no.1 hitman watched as the tall boy fussed over the little dame, his large body dwarfing his student easily. The heir's face was doing a marvellous impression of an over-ripe tomato, steam beginning to seep from his pores.

Reborn looked to the baker's boy, wondering what he could do with the skills of Mafia Seduction up his sleeve if this was his level already. A sinister smirk slipped across his pudgy cheeks as he tried to hide the gleam in his obsidian eyes.

"I have an acquaintance who is especially good with fatal illnesses. If he treats you, I'm sure you'll survive." He hummed, turning to his less than stellar student.

"Great, let's get him to Sawada-san."

"Ah, thank you! Yamaguchi-san!"

He's good, Reborn thought, watching the dame boy grin in relief.

But not good enough.

You want me to find a doctor? Sure, I'll find you one.

But you have to catch him, yourself.

**|REBORN|**

* * *

 

“Poor bastard.” I muttered, dropping my bag beside my shoes in the entryway of the Sawada household.

“How’s this guy!? Why’s he poisoned!?” Tsuna gaped, withdrawing from the toxic scene with shock.

I tilted my head, scanning the man’s white suit and black shirt, a flash of little glass tubes lining the insides of his jacket catching my eye. A part of me recognised the man, meaning he was a somewhat important character, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember his name.

“That’s doctor Shamal, I called him from Italy.” Reborn chirped, not at all bothered by the body sprawled out on the bottom of the steps.

“Hm, it’s been awhile since I last done something good for this world.” A familiar voice sounded, drawing my attention up the slope to the oncoming woman.

“Bianchi-san.” I greeted, nodding my head.

“Ah, Yamaguchi-san, long time no see.”

We shared a smile, ignoring Tsuna’s shout of confusion, before turning to the white wearing doctor on the floor.

“ _ Feisty as usual. _ ”

Oh. Oh God. He’s _ that _ kind of character.

“He’s alive!”

I blinked when spotted a sheet of cloth separating the purplish concoction from his skin, rummaging through my memories to see if I remember it being there in the first place.

“That was close.” He laughed, delicately peeling the layer from him and tossing it to the side.

“But, that’s how women should be. I like you even more now!” He cooed, jumping towards the Mafia woman with exaggerated kissy lips.

I watched as Bianchi dodged out of the way and executed a brilliant round house kick, giving me no other choice than to give a little applause, making her respond with a delicate bow.

“Geez, you’re so shy!”

“Fuck off!”

Within seconds, the Scorpion woman had him pinned to the wall with her poisoned cooking, this time, I noticed the cloth protecting his face.

“As you can see, he loves women.” Reborn chirped, seeming quite happy with Tsuna’s expression of fear mixed with disbelief.

“This old guy can cure fatal illnesses!? Is he even a doctor at all!?” Tsuna squawked, obviously doubting the baby hitman.

“Yep, I’ve been under his care before. Shamal was the one who brought me out of my mother.”

Wait what?

“Your birth!?” The young Vongola blanched, expressing my confusion via proxy.

The small hitman didn’t give the boy an answer, instead turning to the pinned doctor and beginning a different topic.

“Shamal-san, this is Dame-Tsuna. He’s infected with Skull Disease.”

“His real name is Tsunayoshi, he goes by Tsuna, though.” I sighed, ignoring the look sent at me by the little Sky.

“Oh, right. That’s why you called me out here.” Shamal breathed, peeling the poisoned dish from his face.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m easily distracted.” He laughed, coming towards the young boy.

Both Tsuna and I stiffened as his hand came down on his chest, squeezing gently as he leaned in to sniff his neck.

“Ah!” He groaned, withdrawing.

I frowned as I came up behind the little Sky, raising an eyebrow as he declared his exclusiveness, claiming that Tsuna would receive no treatment from him with a male body.

“Reborn-san, you said you would get Sawada-san a doctor.” Came my growl, the young Sky running out after the two Mafia.

“Yes, and I did. There’s your doctor, straight from Italy.” He answered, tilting his head to look up at me. “You never said he had to treat the dame.”

“Why you little...” I scowled, before shaking my head. “Whatever, you want a chase, then fine.” 

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts before calling the selected number.

_ “Chattering Herbivore.” _

“Hello Hibari-san, I need to borrow some of your boys...”

I didn’t notice Reborn’s eyes flash behind me, a smirk sliding across his face as he stroked his side burns.

* * *

 

“Kusakabe-san, thanks again.” I smiled, shaking the second in command’s hand, watching Tsuna corner the good doctor Shamal out of the corner of my eye.

“No problem, Yamaguchi-san. Hibari-sama will be around to collect your payment later.” He hummed, the rest of his subordinates bowing behind him.

I had used the small mass of men to create a sort of channel through the town, limiting how far the Mafia doctor could run off too, allowing Tsuna to find him easier. The little fish was unaware of the plan, but I bet Reborn was having a good laugh at our expense,

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s going on with your boys. They’ve been bowing almost this whole time.” I mumbled, leaning closer as to not be overheard.

“Hm, for some reason, word is that the shopping district is your territory.” 

“What?”

“It’s understandable, Hibari-sama does leave most of the conflicts in this area to you, and he barely touches this part of Namimori. He only ever comes to visit you, actually.” He said, crossing his arms as his grass swung.

“Ah...okay, then.” I sighed, shaking my head.

“Thank you, Disciplinary Committee, you’ve been a great help. Don’t give Hibari-san or Kusakabe-san too much trouble.” 

“It’s our pleasure, Yamaguchi-san!”

Oh God, please don’t do that. You’re making me uncomfortable.

* * *

 

“Sawada-san, where did your shirt go…?” I asked, raising an eyebrow when I saw his bare torso.

Oh, was that muscle, I see forming?

“Um...” The young Sky trailed off, looking to the side.

“Never mind, doesn't matter. Get healed already.” I sighed, waving him off.

“I already told you, I only deal with women!” Shamal contested, standing as he brushed himself down.

“First time for everything, ay?”

“Please,  I don't want to die!” Tsuna begged,  grabbing the man’s sleeve.

“Get off me, boy!”

_ “Ki-nii?” _

Oh God. 

I turned and sighed when I saw the familiar little girl standing at the gate, staring wide eyed at the scene, a small smile on her face.

“Hey, Imouto.” I greeted, letting her skip over to me and wrap me up in a hug.

“Ah, are you and Tsuna-kun playing?” She asked, leaning back to smile at the flustered boy.

“Ah, no! I was just-” He tried to say, holding his hand up to try and stop her train of thought, only to give her fuel for another excited question.

“Are you doing body painting, Tsuna-kun!” 

“Huh?! No, they aren’t-Don’t look at me!” The small Vongola yelped, closing his fists.

_ “That’s embarrassing! Even though you’re short, you’ve got the longest waist in your class!” _

I looked to the new skull printed in the centre of the Sky’s forehead, the chattering mark setting off another scream from its host.

“Sawada Tsunayoshi. With a short life. And short legs as well.” Reborn hummed, standing by my feet in cosplay once more.

“Too many syllables.” I commented, shaking my head.

“Haha, that’s funny!”

“Hey, young lady. You’re very pretty, I’ll give you a good kis-gah!” 

“ _ I’d like to see you try. _ ” I growled, holding the sleazy Italian by his collar. 

“Leave Kyoko-chan alone!” Tsuna shouted, coming to stand between us and his peer.

“Why? This doesn't concern you.” Shamal breathed at the Sky, batting my loosened hand off his shirt.

“Yes, it  _ does  _ concern me!”

“Eh, even if you die in 5 minutes?” He laughed, throwing his thumb over to the sunset.

I scowled when another move was made at Kyoko, switching sides of the party to stand just behind the younger girl and let her grip the rolled sleeve of my uniform. Blinking, the sounds of Tsuna attempting to manually activate Dying Will mode caught my attention, a quick glance in his direction giving me a flash of orange in his eyes. I held my breath and tensed as he stood taller, his usual rage face on as he screamed out his dying will.

_ “How embarrassing! You called an elevator an eberator! That’s embarrassing! You can never get the timing right when you sing!” _

The flames in his eyes flickered out and his face fell, all drive dropping off as he stood in shock.

I let out the breath. Good.

“You’re so funny, Tsuna-kun!” Kyoko laughed, releasing my upper arm and taking steps away.

“Well, I have to get home now. See you tomorrow, Ki-nii, Tsuna-kun.”

“See you at school.” The young Vongola drawled, curled up in the fetal position on the road.

“Be safe, Imouto.” I breathed, petting her head before she parted from us.

Giving a sigh, I turned to look at Tsuna, raising an eyebrow as an unexpectedly mature expression marred his youthful face.

“Tomorrow, huh? There is no tomorrow for me.” He sighed, before a small smile came to his face.

“Well, at least I was able to see Kyoko-chan in the end.”

_ “That’s so embarrassing and so nice! That’s the first time you’ve talked to a girl for so long!” _

“Ah, that’s true.”

I frowned when the sentence ran through my head, rolling over the gravelly words as Reborn and Shamal stepped up to take the spotlight.

‘Talked to a girl?’ Wasn’t that sentence different in the anime? The ‘person you like’, wasn’t it?

“I’m gonna die as ‘No-Good Tsuna’, just leave me alone!” The young Sky cried, fluids leaking from his orifices, making me step back.

“I got it, I got it. I’ll cure you.”

Shamal’s sigh of defeat made me look to the older man, the pitying look that he directed at Tsuna giving away just why he submitted to the Vongola’s wishes.

“Hold still, right there.” He instructed, waving me off to the side.

As I moved away, I watched as he worked his magic, releasing a specialised mosquito into the air and allowing it to land on the Decimo’s arm, healing him from the fatal disease, only minutes before he expired.

“Your illness is cured.” He smirked at the teary-eyed Sky, sticking his hands into his pockets.

“Why did you heal Sawada-san?” I asked, my suspicion wanting to be confirmed.

“Well, I felt sorry for him.” Shamal shrugged, a lazy smile on his face.

“You heard what the skull on him said, right?” He continued at my raised eyebrow, coming to crouch next to the equally smirking baby hitman.

“That was the longest time he had ever talked to a girl. So, that’s three minutes. Just three minutes! There’s no guy who wouldn’t feel sorry for him!” He laughed, holding up three digits to emphasise his point.

A buzz in my pocket tore my attention from the scene in front of me, my hand coming to dig through the material until I withdrew my phone, flipping it open and selecting the message.

_ From: Cloud  
_ _ Tomorrow, you’re mine. _

I blinked, before letting out a huff of air, shaking my head as I thanked the Gods that I had trained Ryohei in the art of note taking.

_ To: Cloud  
_ _ Very well then, Birdy. Tomorrow it is. _

Shoving the phone back in my pocket, I stepped back and walked from the Mafia trio, more than happy that none of them noticed my departure.


	12. Chapter 12

**Word Count: 15,011**

* * *

 

 

“Hey kaa-san,” I started, leaning back on my chair to look around the door frame into the hall, buttered bun hanging from my mouth.

 

“Yes, Daiki-kun?” She asked, turning from the cooking show she recorded from the night before.

 

“Where’s Lambo-kun? I haven’t seen him around the house since I was sick.”

 

“Lambo-kun? Oh, he’s been sleeping over at Nana-chan’s since. I didn’t want him to catch whatever you had, especially since it knocked you off your feet.” Kaede answered, causing me to give a hum of question.

 

“Was Nana-san okay with that? Her house is seeming pretty full these days, with all of Sawada-san’s friends crashing there.” I asked, tossing the last piece of my bread into my mouth before standing and placing my plate in the sink.

 

“Yes, she was. Nana-chan was always surrounding herself with people, even when we were in high school together.” She smiled, pausing her show to stand and kiss me on the cheek.

 

“Okay, sweetheart, time for school.”

 

“Hm, I’m off then.” I nodded taking up my bag and shoving my feet into the shoes by the door, waving to the woman of the house as I walked out.

* * *

 

I yawned as I shifted on my seat that was the right side of Hibari’s large desk, one leg drawn up to my chest as the other dangles off the front, another document in my hand as I looked through my lenses at the tiny font.

 

Hibari scribbled his signature on a different sheet of paper, placing it in a pile next to him before accepting the one in my hand and repeating at my hum of agreement.

 

We had been at it all day, the three high stacks of paperwork steadily declining as our system worked like a well-oiled machine, the fact that I’m a fast reader being used and abused to keep the papers moving from pile to pile. The room was doused in silence, only disturbed by the occasional hum, rustle of paper or quiet comment. Every now and again, a noise would sound from outside the room, barely catching our attention as we continued with our task, the glance of annoyance shared between us the only response.

 

“Should we take a break?” I asked, glancing at the little clock face on my wrist.

 

The skylark looked up at me with his usual passive expression, tinges of boredom showing in his slate orbs as he gave a negative grunt, waving for the next document.

 

“Finish the work, then you can rest.” 

 

A sigh escaped me as I closed my eyes in exasperation, giving a defeated nod in response. Taking another slip from the last pile, I scanned it, the size 6 font driving me crazy as I tried to differentiate one kanji from another.

 

The sound of annoyed hissing made me look up, turning my attention to the young Cloud at my side with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Something wrong, Hibari-san?” I asked, blinking when he rolled his chair closer to me and displayed his hand.

 

A paper cut.

 

“Ah, that must sting.” Came my hum, reaching my own hand and grasping his.

 

Not bothering to ask his permission anymore, I stuck the long digit in my mouth, cleaning the beads of blood off, and encouraging my Flames to stitch the bare minimum of the wound together.

 

“Hibari-sama! I have the rest of the-Oh my God! I am so sorry!”

 

Noticing that Hibari wasn’t going to acknowledge his subordinate, I removed the digit from my mouth, uncaring about the thin string of saliva that connected my lip to the wounded tip. Turning to the red-faced boy slightly, I let out a quiet sigh when I saw the thick stack of reports that would need to be read and annotated for the teachers.

 

“Ah, the reports. Put them just here.” I breathed, waving to the smaller table beside me.

 

“U-uh! Yes, right away!”

 

“Chattering Herbivore, the blood's coming back.” Hibari mumbled, his attention still on the shiny pointer.

 

“Oh, sorry.” I thought I used enough Flames, I need more practice.

 

Sliding the finger past my lips, I summoned forth a small bundle of sunshine to the tip of my tongue before pressing the appendage against, the no doubt stinging slice, making sure to feel for the progress this time around. The skylark in front of me shifted, leaning back in his chair as he continued to watch me heal him.

 

“Why are you still here?”

 

Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I saw the errand boy standing still as a statue before the desk, a few spaces back, watching our interaction with terrified attention.

 

“A-as...Um..!” He spluttered, taking a step back as the Cloud’s expression darkened.

 

_ “Kamikorosu.” _

 

And he was gone, out the door and down the hall before the skylark could even take another breath.

 

“You should be kinder to your little sheep.” I hummed, withdrawing the finger, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

 

“Hm,” He grunted, inspecting his cut before drying it off with the tissues in his drawer. “Next document.”

 

I sighed, handing off the paper in my lap to the skylark.

 

“356 pages down, another 568 to go.”

 

If we were any weaker, we would have groaned in agony.

* * *

 

“And...that’s the last one.” I sighed, pushing my glasses up to rub my eyes as Hibari placed the last of the paperwork on the stack.

 

The skylark gave an airy hum of agreement, leaning back in his chair as he folded his hands in his lap, looking just about ready to take a nap then and there. 

 

I gave a slight smile before hopping off the desk, lifting the piles easily after they were sorted into numerous boxes for specific departments.

 

“I’ll take these to the staff room, you take a break.” 

 

Hibari looked at me through his lashed before giving a dismissive grunt, closing his eyes as he let his chin fall to his chest.

 

Turning from the smaller boy, I closed the door behind me with my foot, walking the path to the outside, knowing that walking around the back of the school would get me to the staffroom faster than by navigating the halls. School was out for the day, all but those with club activities gone from the grounds, so when I heard voices being projected around the corner, I was more than a bit confused.

 

A yelp escaped me as a flash of black and white whizzed past, making me step back or risk dropping my load and forcing me to resort them on my own. Turning away from the small cloud of dust that erupted from the impact, I let out a cough as it faded, allowing me to see what had created a small crater in the store room’s exterior wall.

 

“Ah, Lambo-kun?” I blurted, a flash of concern showing when I noticed the scrape on his cheek and his eyes going unfocused as he fell from his indent.

 

As if my call snapped him to attention, his head stopped bobbing and jerked to face me, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes when he spotted me, a stunned expression.

 

“Daiki-san?” The little Mafioso sniffled, moving closer to me slightly.

 

“C’mere,” I cooed, shifting the load in my arms to the one hand so that I could gather him up in my right arm. “Why’re you crying, did something happen?”

 

Lambo didn’t answer and instead buried his face in my side, little cow print hands clutching at the material of my shirt.

 

“Ah! Yamaguchi-san!?”

 

The call drew my attention from the teary child, instead landing it on the small group teenagers across from me.

 

“You three, of course.” I sighed, casting my eyes over the future Vongola X and co. raising an eyebrow when Ryohei waved excitedly at me from the back.

 

“Ryohei-kun, what are you doing with the underclassmen?”

 

“We’re EXTREMELY trying to find Lambo-san an EXTREME babysitter!” He hollered, making the boys around him flinch away.

 

“...Why?” I asked slowly, some things not quite adding up for me.

 

“Lambo-san has been quite a bit of trouble at home, so we need someone to watch him while Dame-Tsuna is at school.” Reborn hummed, hands folded behind his back.

 

“Okay, but that won’t really be necessary.”

 

“Eh, why?” The young Vongola Decimo finally asked, stepping forwards.

 

“Lambo-kun lives with me,” I answered, before giving an expression of honest confusion. “I was under the impression you knew that, I even drop him off at your house so he can play with Reborn-san.”

 

There was a moment of silence, all of the men’s faces before me dissolving into ones of variations of shock.

 

_ “Yamaguchi-kun! Tsuna-kun!”  _

 

All of us turned our heads to the specific call, giving our own reactions to the sudden appearance of one Miura Haru, scowling as she panted, no doubt having just sprinted to our location.

 

“Haru-san, how are you?” I smiled, silently wondering what Hibari would do if he caught a non-student on the Nami Middle grounds after hours.

 

“Ha-hi! Lambo-kun, are you alright!?” She yelped, plucking the child out of my arms- or at least, attempted to.

 

“Let Lambo-san go!” He wailed, little hands still wrapped around the material of my shirt, pulling it out of my waistband and revealing a bit of my stomach to the late summer air.

 

“Lambo-kun, come to Haru-chan!”

 

“Ah, Haru-san, could you perhaps stop pulling on Lam-oh God!” I cut off, stumbling back as the two children across from me were flung back and splayed across the ground, the smaller of them breaking out into tears.

 

"Ten year bazooka!?” Tsuna shrieked, eyes widening as he gaped at the large purple firearm that emerged from the hammerspace within the Bovino’s afro.

 

“Wait, Lambo-kun!” I tried, only to take in a large breath of pink smoke, resulting in a coughing fit.

 

Waving away the particles, my eyes widened when I came face to face with a fifteen-year-old Lambo, the time traveller giving me a lazy smile as one hand came up to wave.

 

“Adult Lambo!” The young Vongola announced, the voice sounding off from behind me.

 

“Ah, young Papa, how’re you?” TYL Lambo drawled, shifting his weight.

 

_ “Papa!?”  _

 

“Oh, it’s you again.” I hummed, eyeing the ‘new’ person carefully. “You still call me that, even though I don’t know you.”

 

“Haha, I’m Lambo, Papa. You know me, you take care of me!” He laughed, taking a step into my space.

 

“Hm? I was under the impression that Lambo-kun was a five-year-old. Not a teen.” I challenged, tilting my head slightly.

 

“Ten year bazooka, makes the user swap places with their future self for five minutes.” The TYL smirked, one hand coming up to fiddle with his ear lobe.

 

My eyes were drawn to the action, a sting of worry stabbing me. That was something I did a lot.

 

_ “So you’ve finally come, Romeo-kun.” _

 

Oh. Oh shit.

 

“Lambo-kun,” I started, glancing over my shoulder. 

 

“Oh, you haven’t called me that in a while.” He blinked, before pointing to himself. “You usually just call me-”

 

“Poison Pizza! Magic Cutter!”

 

His single eye widened, fear obvious in his face.

 

“E-excuse me!” 

 

“Well, at least he’s polite.” I hummed, ducking under the purple pizza.

 

Hearing voices from behind me, I turned, gave a yelp and ducking again, dodging the golden horn sent flying over my head by one Yamamoto Takeshi.

 

“Careful!”

 

“Ah, sorry, Daiki-kun!”

 

As it would seem, TYL Lambo wasn’t as fortunate, the sound of two impacts reaching our ears, before the sight of an almost grown man wailing on the floor was presented to us.

 

“It always ends like this.” Tsuna sighed, sagging in exhaustion as Ryohei gave Takeshi a strange variation of comfort for his deed.

 

“Papa!”

 

Oh God, not again!

 

“Shit!” I yelped, just barely balancing out my body as the teenager threw himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck, legs around my waist and burying his teary face into my shoulder.

 

“Ah, I want a hug from shujin-kun as well!”

 

“Takeshi-kun, Takeshi-kun no-gah!”

 

Balance! Balance!

 

“Ha-hi! Me too!”

 

Please, no!

 

“EXTREME HUGS FROM DAIKI-KUN!”

 

Nonononononono- FUCK!

 

The five of us let out harmonious groans as we slowly sat up, rubbing the parts of our bodies that received the most impact.

 

_ “All of you.” _

 

They froze, slowly turning their heads to me. My scowl was unmatched as I sat amongst the sea of paperwork, boxes burst and tipped as hours of careful sorting went down the drain in less than three seconds.

 

_ “You are  _ _ all _ _ going to sort these papers.  _ _ Now _ _.” _

 

I had never seen such great teamwork.

* * *

 

_ “EXTREME DAIKI-KUN! PICK UP, BREAD SLICE! BRO! DUDE! LIGHT OF MY LIFE!” _

 

I jolted upright in my bed, the sounds of Ryohei’s customised ringtone awakening me from a blank dream.

 

_ “EEEEEEXTRREEEEEEEMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! PAL! BUDDY! HOME SLICE! BROTHER! BRO! PAL! STALE! SALTY! DUDE!” _

 

Snapping my hand out, I snatched up the phone and received the call before the roaring could awaken my younger roommate, and result in another noise.

 

“Yep?” I hummed, rubbing my face as I leant back against the headboard, glancing out the still black window.

 

_ “DAIKI-KUN! YOU EXTREMELY PROMISED ME AN EXTREME FIGHT TODAY!”  _ His voice rung through the receiver, making me move it away from my head.

 

“Oh? And by ‘today’, I’m gonna guess you mean yesterday, as of three hours ago.” Came my response, pausing to glance at the little clock face on my side table.

 

There was a pause on the other side, quiet mumbles providing that the Sun was probably talking to someone on his side, possibly apologising for screaming at three o’clock in the morning.

 

_ “Anyway, you have to extremely fight me today, got it?” _

 

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” I sighed, resting my hand on my updrawn knee as we said our farewells, snapping the phone shut as the dial tone sounded.

 

“Hmm, Daiki-san?” 

 

Turning my head, I blinked when I saw Lambo peek at me from his bed across the room, small hands coming up to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

 

“Lambo-kun, sorry, did I wake you?” I asked, giving him a small smile as a yawn escaped him.

 

“Uh huh.” He responded, nodding sleepily.

 

“Sorry, go back to sleep. I won’t make anymore noise.”

 

He shook his head, puffy afro swinging along with it, before making grabby hand in my direction, obviously wanting to be picked up. Giving a long breath, I stood from my bed and padded across the room, scooping the little hitman up and sitting back down.

 

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” He asked, burrowing into my stomach, the question seeming to be only a formality.

 

“Sure.” 

 

Drawing the blanket up, I leant back against the headboard again, one hand coming to gently pet the toddler’s back as the other cushioned my head. Turning my head, I looked out the window, listening to the ticking of the clock as moonbeams bathed the room in white light.

 

“Papa, huh?” I hummed, looking down at the little calf dozing on my stomach, a little hand clinging to my thumb.

 

A soft smile touched my face as Lambo curled up further, his body dwarfed by my much larger one. 

 

“Doesn't sound all that bad.”

* * *

 

**|S.R|**

Sasagawa Ryohei gave a breath as he paused, having run one and a half laps around the town so far, he was more than ready to face the day, his blood singing and his muscles warm and flexible. The boy had decided to go the extra mile today, the promise of a battle of extreme extremity with his friend Daiki making him jittery and grin, the mere thought of the thrill awaiting him giving him almost the same battle-high he could expect in no less than a few hours.

 

However...

 

The Sun guardian's smile faded slightly, his clenched fists dropping to his sides.

 

Daiki had been acting strange, as of late. Not in everyday activities, no, but in the ring. It had been going on for a long time, but only had become more prominent.

 

He had become... violent.

 

Not that that wasn't to be expected in their selected sports, but years of tutelage under his father had made Ryohei aware of people's bodies, allowing him to react in time to dodge or counterattack. So, it wasn't much of a challenge to notice how the older boy held himself back, even against Ryohei, his friend, confidant and brother, he only gave so much effort, the other parts of him working to restrict himself. He had to consciously limit himself when they were fighting, to the point where it had seemed to become unenjoyable for the blue haired boy.

 

What would happen if he stopped liking boxing? Would he quit?

 

Hopefully not, the Yamaguchi child was the only member of the club that Ryohei had trouble taking down, the club would become dull without him, no doubt. The Sun wouldn't stop him, however, if he did decide to leave, keeping him there would only further his dislike for the sport, and that was the last thing he wanted.

 

_ "Oi, oi Ryohei-kun. Dude, answer. Dude, bro, buddy, mate, pal, bro, sunshine, mate, light of my life, dude, pal, sunspot, bro, buddy-" _

 

Ryohei fished his phone out of his pocket, cutting off Daiki's special ringtone before holding it up to his ear.

 

"Hello?"

 

_ "Dude, you have like- five minutes to get to school before Hibari-san hunts you down, where the hell are you?" _

 

"Uh," The sun guardian glanced around, taking in his surroundings. "Near the shrines."

 

_ "Why the hell are you near the shrines, sunspot!? Get your gluteus maximus back here before I come after you instead!"  _

 

Ryohei flinched away from the order, giving a yelped positive before declaring his incoming arrival.

 

_ "Quickly! Speed is key, bro!" _

 

"EXTREME SPEED!" The Sun roared, pocketing the phone and sprinting around the corner, a cloud of smoke being kicked up behind him

 

If he didn’t want Daiki to get bored, he’d just have to find something to get his blood pumping again. 

 

Shouldn’t be too hard.

**|S.R|**

* * *

 

 

“Next challenger!” The coach yelled, waving his hand over at our corner.

 

“You or me?” I breathed, glancing over to my bench buddy, the Sasagawa child heaving just as heavily as I was.

 

For some reason, Ryohei had been pushing me to go into the ring every chance he got, forcing me to fight every other member in the club, going at me himself when the others were unavailable or had enough. He seemed almost frantic today, not how he usually was once he stepped in the studio, not a pumped jittery, but a careful one, fussing over my boxing from the get-go.

 

“Ah, flip a coin?” The pale haired boy asked, straightening up and fishing out a 100 yen coin from his duffle bag.

 

“Sure,” I shrugged. “I’ll flip. Loser takes the ring, yeah?”

 

He handed it off to me, allowing me to balance it on the side of my hand and send it careening into the air, catching it in my palm before swiftly covering it with the opposite hand.

 

“I call tails.” Came my call, Ryohei nodding in acceptance.

 

“Tails, you’re up, sunshine.” I laughed, giving the shorter boy a thump on the back to encourage him to stand and take to the ring, fastening his gloves.

 

As the boys sized each other up, a small frown came to my face, my hand coming to dig blunt nails into my knees as I mentally berated myself.

 

I had almost slipped up in the last match, instinct tapping at the back of my mind when the sudden urge to let my leg lash out and floor an upperclassman who’s feet were in the air more than they were grounded, giving me plenty of opportunities to send him sprawling with the right speed. The twitch of the muscles in my lower body was enough to make me pause, giving the older boy a chance to hook me in the head, dazing me for less than a moment. That moment, however, was just enough time for whatever damned thing that reared its head by the water to do so again, all holds on my strength gone as I let my fist fly, dropping the other almost instantly.

 

There had been silence in the room when that happened, the other members holding their breaths as I caught mine, everyone's eyes equally wide. By the time coach had K.O'ed the upperclassman, I had stepped out of the ring and handed off my gloves to Ryohei, keeping my eyes down. 

 

I didn't want him to see it. The glimmer in my eye, the looseness of my muscles, the soft smile on my face. It had been years since I had done that, released even a little of my frustrations into a punch. 

 

Even against Hibari, I limited myself. Only go as far as you need to, never further. Disengage him, immobilise him, don't damage him. 

 

I was sure he had noticed it, but when I redirected his hits, I did so gently, making sure not to sprain or tear any of his muscles or tendons with the shift of movement. It, of course, spurred him on harder, making him fight fiercer out of pride, but it was something I couldn't help. The same with Ryohei, he would probably kill me if he knew just how much I pulled my punches when it came to boxing, never putting full power into the jabs, never using my body to create momentum. Their bodies were already under enough stress as it is, and will be under even more in less than a year, so they needed as much health in their bar as possible. Broken bones or permanent injuries were a no-no.

 

I clenched my fist experimentally, my lip twitching when a phantom noise sounded within my ears.

 

It still made me cringe, the deep, sharp sound of bones breaking within their flesh casing, but less so as compared to all those years ago. I had never had the chance to check if it was the same sound as I remembered, or if my memory had been dulled by time. There had been almost no hostile Mafia business in Namimori since then, almost as if the sudden disappearance of one of their men had made them cautious about how they went about their business around the Vongola heir.

 

" _ EXTREME _ ! DID YOU SEE THAT, DAIKI-KUN!?" 

 

My head snapped up, hand releasing my knee cap as I focused my attention of the pouting boxer, his gloved hands on his hips as he glared at me from the ring.

 

"Ah, no. Sorry, Ryohei-kun." I apologised, giving a small smile.

 

"Oh come on!" He whined, before pointing at me quite viciously. "Watch me, okay! Watch me when I'm doing EXTREMELY cool stuff!"

 

"Okay, okay." I laughed, leaning back against the wall as I flipped the coin along my knuckles, focusing my gaze on the adrenalized boy.

 

I blinked as I watched his movements, noticing how different they were to how he usually moved. They were fast and deliberate, made to be showy and eye-catching.  His step sequence kept me in his line of his sight, dodges done to make sure I could see the net punch connect with his opponent's body.

 

He was putting on a show.

 

But why? There was no need for the display, as far as I was aware. Was he nervous about something?

 

The glance he threw over his shoulder, was enough to tell me that: yes, he was nervous. Determination, however, was woven through the fire that flickered with the fight.

 

"C'mon Ryohei-kun, K.O 'im!" I called, cupping my mouth on one side to direct my voice.

 

As if the call had flipped a switch, the Flames in his eyes roared to another level, the muscles in his arms gearing up to deliver a no doubt devastating blow. The young Sun whirled around, his fist at the perfect angle for the perfect right hook, and with a resounding ' _ bang _ ', his opponent hit the ground, a dazed expression on his face as his cheek bloomed an array of purples and reds.

 

_ "K.O! Sasagawa-san is winner!" _

 

"Ay!" I cheered, fist bumping the sweaty Sasagawa before letting my body be dragged into a crushing hug, the boy hollering his own victory cry.

 

"Hey, Ryohei-kun?" I started, using our closeness to talk to him.

 

"Ya?"

 

"Is something wrong? you seemed a bit- I don't know- nervous out there."

 

The muscles under my arms and around my body tensed, before forcibly relaxing, a long breath leaving the young Sun Guardian.

 

"We'll talk about it later." He replied, trying to pull away, only to be trapped by the cage of my arms he put himself in.

 

"But we will talk about it."

 

"Of course."

* * *

 

 

"Hope you enjoy, please come again." I smiled, waving at a trio of girls as they exited the shop to join the flow of weekend shoppers.

 

A sigh left me as the door closed, the giggling that they exuded making me want to roll my eyes at almost every point 'accidental' eye or skin contact took place. Those girls were some of my regulars, coming in every other week. We had lots of customers like that, actually. Older men and women coming in in hopes of running into Kaede and getting a chat with her. She seemed oblivious, however, to their advances, leaving each one of them happily broken-hearted as they walked out with their purchase and a dreamy smile on their faces.

 

The bell above the door going off brought me out of my musing, my relaxed position of leaning on my forearms shifting only slightly as I tilted my head, giving the new customers a smile as I greeted them warmly.

 

"Good morning, how can I help you today?"

 

"Yamaguchi-kun!"

 

"Ah! Yamaguchi-san!?"

 

Oh. Oh dear God.

 

"Haru-san, Sawada-san." I greeted, eyes following them as they walked to my register, contrasting expressions on their faces.

 

"Back again, hey?" 

 

"Uh huh! Haru Appreciation Day, it is!" The young girl beamed, bending to examine the products on offer today.

 

"Is that so, and I'm guessing you dragged poor Sawada-san into coming with you, hm?" 

 

The pout she sent me made a small laugh fall from my lips, the way she puffed her cheeks reminding me of a chipmunk.

 

"No! Tsuna-san came of his own will! It was destiny that he and I were to meet today!"

 

"Sure, whatever you say." I breathed, resting my jaw in my hand as I crossed one foot behind the other.

 

"Ki-nii!" 

 

Looking away from the duo, I waved as Kyoko came rushing in, a list in her hand as she grinned happily in greeting.

 

"Imouto, welcome. Kyoko Day?"

 

"Yep!" She cooed, her face falling to one of concentration as she surveyed the spread seriously thinking about what she was going to purchase.

 

"Kyoko-chan?!" Tsuna gaped, snapping his head around to focus on his crush.

 

"Ah, Tsuna-kun." She smiled, turning to him.

 

An amused smile worked its way onto my face as the Vongola got caught between the two women, the way his face contorted in panic and fear providing me with the most entertainment in the day so far.

 

"Ah, Haru-chan, you should try Ki-nii's cream puffs! They're great! So soft!" Kyoko gushed, pointing to the palm-sized pastry, causing her new friend's eyes to sparkle.

 

"What about the mille-feuille!?" Haru responded, pointing out the cake slice further to the left.

 

"Yamaguchi-san."

 

My head snapped down the baby hitman on the floor, looking up at me as he donned traditional Japanese clothes.

 

"Yes?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Will you host us, and let the girls eat in your house?"

 

As I was about to refuse, vaguely remembering that Tsuna's house was the go-to for all events, Kyoko piped up, a grin all but blinding my eyes.

 

"Ah, it's been so long since I've been in Ki-nii's house! I hope you've cleaned your room since I last saw it!" 

 

"...Maybe."

**…**

 

A grumble left me as I rested my arm on my drawn up knee, the other splaying out under the little fold up table in my room that I had hauled up from the store room by Kaede's order.

 

"Reborn-kun, you really like pecan bread, huh?" Kyoko cooed, watching the small hitman chew through his bread happily, having missed out for the past few days due to...incidents.

 

"The coffee cake here is also nice." He hummed, nodding in response to her first question.

 

"Ah, coffee cake? That's Ki-nii's job!" She laughed, her radiance blinding me, if not for the stone that fell in my stomach as Reborn's voids snapped to me.

 

"Oh? I was under the impression it fell under Kaede-san's order. Did it change over recently?"

 

"No, no! Kaede-oba-san hates coffee, Ki-nii's been doing it since his last year of elementary!"

 

Shush, Kyoko! Shush!

 

"Ah, well, thank you." He hummed, smiling a bit too sharply in my direction.

 

I didn't hesitate to reciprocate the gesture.

 

Watch it, baby. This is my territory, remember?

* * *

**|S.T|**

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God- Reborn, stop!

 

The young Vongola glanced between the two Sun Flame Users nervously, the sharp smiles they sent at each other making him fear that they would cut the three people between them.

 

“Hey, Ki-nii! Try some!” Kyoko chirped, drawing the ominous stare away from the baby across from him.

 

Tsuna fought the urge to pout in jealousy when he saw the angelic girl offer the older boy a forkful of cake, cupping her hand beneath the treat as to stop any spillage. The blue haired boy raised an eyebrow, a small smile coming to his face as he reminded her that he was the one who made them.

 

“You know that I’ve been tasting this thing for years, correct?” 

 

“Oh hush, eat it.” She huffed, breaking out into a grin when Yamaguchi took it in his mouth and left the fork clean.

 

“Tsuna-kun, you have some too!”

 

“Ah!” The young Vongola yelped, backing away from the utensil shoved up to his face, Haru wielding it as she leaned over the dishes precariously. “No, thank you!”

 

_ “Papa, you have cake?”  _

 

Tsuna jumped as the voice sounded from just behind him, his head snapping around to come nose to nose with an adult Lambo, his lazily opened eye sparkling with interest as he eyed the treats laid out on the table.

 

“ _ Ni hao! _ ”

 

“Lambo-kun, I-pin-chan.” The based voice in the room greeted, the new guests responding in kind.

 

The young Vongola watched in disbelief as the older boy just accepted the sudden influx of people in his room, memories of all the times he himself had fallen over in surprise when any of the little hitmen had appeared in his home. 

 

“I-pin-chan, how’s the mille-feuille?” Haru cooed, watching the young bomb girl chew up a piece of Yamaguchi’s work.

 

There was silence as I-pin swallowed, her head visibly bobbing as it moved through her system, the people in the room waiting for the young girl’s verdict. It took a moment, but soon, water began to collect in the corner of her slanted eye, the tear sliding down her chubby cheek as a blissed out smile spread across her face.

 

“She’s crying?!” Tsuna yelped, shifting back in surprise.

 

“I-pin-chan’s never had anything so good.” She hummed in accented Japanese, the words coming out halted and quiet.

 

“That’s quite the compliment you just gave me I-pin-chan. I thank you kindly.” Yamaguchi smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he tilted his head slightly at the small child. 

 

“You are welcome! Thank you!” She smiled, hopping over the table to land on the older boy’s knee.

 

“Secret Gyoza Dumpling!”

 

Tsuna blinked when he saw Yamaguchi’s eyes sharpen, amber-earth flashing dark as they zeroed in on the offered dumplings that dwarfed the hands holding them. 

 

“Ah, sorry I-pin-chan. I don’t think I can eat that.” 

 

What was that? 

 

“Aiya? Why?” The small child asked, withdrawing her arms.

 

“Hm, they seem to be  _ special _ .” He smiled, stressing the last word.

 

I-pin’s face dissolved into shock as if she had just remembered something, falling into a bow as she apologised to the larger boy, a jumble of Chinese and Japanese falling from her lips as she fussed over packing away the two dumplings.

 

“Huh, why not Ki-nii? I-pin-chan seemed excited to give them to you.” Kyoko asked, a small frown on her face.

 

“I-pin-chan is sorry. She forgot that Master told her not to give special dumplings to others. Sorry again!” She squeaked, bowing to the two girls quickly.

 

“It’s fine, I-pin-chan, we all make mistakes. Just be glad it didn’t go any further than that.”

 

How? How did he catch that?

 

Tsuna watched as the small girl jumped back into Yamaguchi's lap, thanking him profusely in her bilingual manner, making the blue haired boy smile down at her sweetly. A tanned hand coming to gently brush along her single braid to comfort her.

 

"I-pin-chan promises to be more vigilant!" She declared, clenching her fist in determination.

 

"Okay, okay." The taller boy laughed, his own fist clenching before he gently knocked hers. "I'll hold you to that."

 

"Mhm!" She grinned, pressing back.

 

"Aw! Yamaguchi-kun's so good with children!"

 

"Ki-nii would make a great husband!"

 

"What are you two going on about this time?" 

 

The young Vongola watched the three teens interact in front of him, wide brown eyes jumping from person to person as they scuffled amongst themselves, the two girls ganging up on their upperclassman as they tittered on about how much of a family man he was. There was a certain lightness to the situation, maybe caused by the afternoon sun seeping through the window, maybe caused by the girlish laughter that filled the air as Yamaguchi flatly rejected Kyoko's question of how many kids he planned to have in the future.

 

"Hm...How did that boy know?" 

 

A shot of fear scrambled up Tsuna's spine as the forgotten baby hitman beside him hummed in thought, cold void eyes drilling into the side of the tanned boy's skull as they tried to pick apart the teen.

 

"Know what?" He managed out.

 

"I-pin-chan's Gyoza Dumplings are a secret technique, one dumpling is said to hold the essence of 5 million normal ones. If a normal person were to consume one," The fedora-wearing hitman turned to focus his stare on his student. "They'd die."

 

"Huh?!" 

 

"Somehow, it would that seem Yamaguchi-san knew that, and stopped I-pin-chan from feeding it to anyone." He breathed, turning back. "But how...?"

 

"A gut feeling, maybe?" Tsuna tried, a nervous smile cracking across his face.

 

"Hm… Maybe, so." Reborn responded, tilting so that the rim of his hat covered his eyes from the other occupants.

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

 

“TODAY WE BATTLE  _ TO THE EXTREME _ !”

 

“What?”

 

I picked my head up off my pillow to stare dumbly at the posing Ryohei, an adrenaline pumped grin splitting his face as he stomped his socked feet on my formula sheets that littered the floor. Looking away from his display, I read the clock face beside me, my face dissolving to a look of utter annoyance.

 

He had woken me up at 6:30am.

 

On a Saturday.

 

“You son of a bitch.” I muttered, burrowing back under the blankets.

 

"Daiki-kun! Awaken  _ TO THE EXTREME! _ " 

 

My hands snapped out and gripped my sheets, the other end in Ryohei's own resulting in a desperate tug-a-war between us. We held out for a good few minutes, shouts exchange with childish swears riding on their coat tails. 

 

"Get lost you lawn head!"

 

"Daiki-kun, get your salty ass up!"

 

"LEAVE MY ROOM!"

 

"GET UP  _ TO THE EXTREME _ !"

 

"OUT, EGG WHITE!"

 

"RISE, BREAD BUN!"

 

"I DON'T WANNA!"

 

"YOU  _ EXTREMELY _ HAVE TO!"

 

"MY HOUSE, MY _ EXTREME _ RULES!"

 

"Boys!"

* * *

Our heads snapped around, the pulling stopped and our mouths clicked shut as we stared at Kaede as she stood hunched over in my doorway, hair a mess and her nightgowns crumpled from sleep.

 

"It is 6:45 in the morning. Why on Earth are you two screaming at  _ 6:45 in the morning? _ "

 

"A-ah, we were...He was..." Ryohei and I stumbled, glancing to each other as we tried to align stories.

 

"Boys." She warned, utilising full mother mode to tame our rowdy behaviour.

 

"Sorry." We chorused, bowing our heads in submission.

 

"Good. Not another peep, am I understood?" 

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

We flinched as she slammed the door shut, her heavy footsteps fading as she thumped down the hall, back into her room.

 

Turning back to each other, we shared a wide-eyed look, frozen expressions of mutual fear on our faces. The corners of our lips twitched as barely stifled laughs coughed out, our body jolting sharply as we tried to stuff my green and gold doona into our mouths to try and shut ourselves up.

 

_ "Boys!" _

 

The back of the Namimori Middle School was vacant except for two stubborn teens who were, once again, pushing their bodies to the extreme. Three hours of almost non-stop running had left us panting, but we still carried on after only a five-minute break, moving our twitching bodies into the back-to-back workout the Ryuu-sensei had taught us three years ago. 

 

It was a difficult exercise, balance, timing, strength and trust were all incorporated into the workout, in which we were literally back-to-back. One person would do pushups on the floor, and the other would sit on their back and do sit-ups, working as a weight. After a set amount, they would then link arms and flip over, swapping roles for a turn. Three weeks, it had taken us to perfect the whole exercise. Three weeks of strained muscles, dirt filled scrapes, back cracks and head knocks, but the result was absolute synchrony, one we were more than happy to flaunt when given the chance.

 

I let out a breath as I pulled myself into yet another sit up, the movement beneath me barely shifting my progress as I lowered along with Ryohei. The younger boy pushed himself into his 78th pushup, making me rise with him as I felt the muscles in his back flex from the effort.

 

"79...80! Flip!" He shouted, linking arms with me before we threw out weight together and rolled until I was facing the ground, and he the sky. 

 

Giving a grunt, he began his own set of 100 sit ups, as I began my 80 pushups. He wasn't that heavy actually, only 59 kilos, so forcing my arms to push our combined weight of 131 kgs up was a fairly easy task, it was the repetition of the act that got to me, however.

 

"Daiki-kun," Ryohei started, looking down at me from his position, hands behind his head.

 

"Yeah, what's up?" I responded, glancing over my shoulder.

 

"Can we stop, just for a second?"

 

"Ah, okay. Sure." Came my answer, the young Sun moved off my back quickly, allowing me to stand and face him as he shifted.

 

"Has anything...Is there something you need to tell me?" He asked, standing straight and walking towards me.

 

"Ah, I...I don't think so." I answered, more than a bit confused by the sudden question.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

Narrowing my eyes, I noticed just how close the younger boy had gotten, barely an arm's length away. Not the closest he had gotten, but probably the most invasive.

 

"Yes." I nodded, "What brought this along?"

 

"..."

 

A frown worked its way onto my face as I watched him shake his head dismissively, preparing to step back and out of my zone, only to be stopped when my hand lashed out and grabbed him by the strap of his singlet.

 

"No, I want an answer, Ryohei-kun. This had been troubling you for at least a week, and by God, it has been affecting me by affiliation. Now," I tightened my grip and dragged him to the ground with me, forcing him to sit across from me in the shade. "Spill."

 

"Well..."

 

"Well?"

 

He fidgetted under my stare for a few moments, glancing around and avoiding the topic as well as he could.

 

"Dude, just spill. I promise, I won't snap your neck...Much."

 

"Thanks, that helps." He deadpanned, before letting out a long sigh.

 

"Are you getting bored of boxing?"

 

I blinked, checking his face for any twitch that could suggest humour or trickery, only to find it set in straight.

 

"Boxing? That's what this is about?" I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck to work out the tension that had built for apparently no reason.

 

"Yes-well, sort of. Mostly." He stumbled, crossing his arms are he tried to piece together his mind.

 

"You...You don't seem to like the boxing way, much. Do you?"

 

"Um," I started, "By 'not like', what do you mean?"

 

"Like- To me, you look like you're restricting yourself a lot. It's like-like you wanna use your legs, like you wanna kick and stuff!"

 

"And stuff." I sighed, before nodding in acceptance, stopping his wild flailing as he tried to explain further.

 

"I'm not really getting tired of boxing, it just- It doesn't fit with how I think, I guess. I know it's a sport and all but, I just can't get out of survival mode a lot of the time. There are so many openings that I could- I need - to take advantage of and it's...It's becoming an itch or sorts now, constantly bugging me." 

 

He gave a solemn nod, obviously making an effort to understand what I was feeling with his boxing-wired mind.

 

"But, it's not really important, just me being a bit of a brute." I stated, bringing a smile to my face. "Sorry if I caused you any concern."

 

My smile faded when he didn't respond, only watching me from across the grass quietly. I let my eyes trail, fingers coming to pick at the sparse grass behind the school, chlorophyll inking my nails.

 

"So...what kind of fighting  _ does _ fit you?"

 

I blinked, looking back to the young Sun across from me, before pursing my lips as I thought about the answer.

 

"I don't really know. I just...I just use everything given to me." 

 

"Have you ever done it before?" He asked, leaning forwards, a spark erupting in his eye as a grin flickered in the corners of his lips.

 

"Yeah, but only against two opponents. Well, I've only ever gone  _ all out _ against one."

 

"Who was it?" By then, he had practically begun crawling forwards, the talk of fighting making his blood hum with excitement.

 

"Just some dude who I caught...trespassing. He's gone now." I responded, pausing for less than a moment to think about the phrasing.

 

"Can you show me!? Can we fight!? All out!? No holds!? Please!?"

 

"All out?!" I yelped, sounds ringing in my ears.

 

_ Crack _

 

"Yeah! All out TO THE EXTREME!"

 

_ Crunch _

 

"Ah...I-I dunno, that could...That could end badly."

 

"Oh, c'mon bro! It'll be EXTREMELY fun!" He whined, tugging me up to make us stand.

 

"You don't even know what kind of moves I use." I tried, an open expression of worry marring my face.

 

"Then you'll EXTREMELY have to show me TO THE EXTREME!" The young Sun grinned, practically bouncing in anticipation.

 

"Um...Ryohei-kun, this might be dangerou-"

 

"Three-Two-One!  _ Fight _ !" He sped through the count, charging at me with his fist raised.

 

"Whoa!" I yelped, dodging beneath the fist and stepping around him.

 

"That was a boxing move, Daiki-kun! I wanna see your EXTREME style!" The Sun roared, rounding and bringing his fist down with a ' _ maximum cannon _ !'

 

Get away from it. Grab it. Make it  _ useless _ .

 

With wide eyes, I moved around the arm, hands flying to grasp his stretched arm, and put pressure on his elbow, threatening to snap it the wrong way.

 

"Argh!" 

 

The gruff yelp of pain made me let go, my body taking large steps to throw myself away from Ryohei, blundered apologies spurting from my lips.

 

"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I told you this was a bad idea!"

 

"You..." He mumbled, clutching his arm as his fringe covered his eyes.

 

Oh no... I really hurt him just then didn't I? Shit, Daiki! Learn to control yourself, dude!

 

"YOU LOOKED SO  _ EXTREME _ !" He roared, spinning around to stare at me with huge, starry eyes.

 

What?

 

"A-ah, um..." I tried, taking a cautionary step back as he began to gush in a way he reserved for boxing and the like.

 

"YOU WERE LIKE 'FWOOSH'! THEN 'SMASH'! THEN 'CHA!'"

 

"That...doesn't make sense."

 

"Here I come! EXTREME RIGHT HOOK!" 

 

My eyes locked on the incoming fist, ideas flying through my head as I watched it approach. Frowning slightly, I tilted my head as I thought about it.

 

"Maybe..."

 

Moving my feet quickly, I began running towards him, training my eyes on his body as I made a quiet countdown in my head. 

 

This could either go very badly, or look epic as all fuck.

 

Let's hope for the latter.

 

Now!

 

My eyes sharpened as I lept from the ground, gaining air as he came under me. Snapping my feet around his head, I flung my upper body forwards, moving into the motion of a flip. A grimace reached my face as I felt the weight of Ryohei follow me up, his yelp of surprise fueling the grin that replaced the mar. 

 

Giving my body yet another harsh coil, I sent Ryohei's body crashing into the ground, his back colliding with the hard earth making him choke and bounce twice. I bent my knees as I landed, falling into a crouch to stop myself from toppling as my head felt light. I hadn't done anything akin to a flip for a while, mostly falling to cartwheels, and they were usually reserved for the playground.

 

"Hey, you okay there sunspot?" I panted, adrenaline draining from me as I approached my K.O-ed partner.

 

"That." He panted, vocals strained from the lack of air in his lungs after being winded. "Was. Fucking. EXTREME!"

 

"Yeah." I laughed, flopping down next to him. "That was extremely extreme."

 

"Hey, what's that style called?" 

 

"No idea. I doubt it'd even be called a style, what, with how mangled it is. It'd make a master cry, I swear."

* * *

 

**|S.R|**

Terrifying.

 

Daiki was terrifying.

 

A grin split the young Sasagawa's face as he laid panting next to the older boy, adrenaline still humming in his blood as he remembered the sharp eyes that peered down at him as the silhouette obscured the sun above him, dowsing him in darkness before sending him crashing into the earth. He felt as if he should have broken something, pebbles digging into his back as dirt filled scrapes and cuts along his exposed skin. A testing movement showed that there was nothing of extreme damage, only a few strains and bruises.

 

"Hey, what's your style called?" The beaten boy asked, experimentally moving his neck.

 

"No idea. I doubt it'd even be called a style, what, with how mangled it is. It'd make a master cry, I swear."

 

There he goes again, putting himself down.

 

"Hm, how about  _ BATS _ ?" The young Sasagawa offered, rolling onto his front to look down at his partner.

 

" _ BATS _ ? The hell?" Daiki asked, scrunching his tanned face up in confusion.

 

"Yeah!  _ BATS,  _ stands for Break All Their Shit! I feel like you just shattered all 300 bones in my body just then!" He grinned, resting his chin on his folded arms.

 

"There are only 206 bones in the average body, Ryohei-kun."

 

"Same, same. Anyway,  _ BATS _ , sound EXTREME?!"

 

There was a flash of emotion across the older boy's face, before he settled on a warm smile, one which Ryohei reflected with vigour.

 

"Okay then, you better help me perfect  _ BATS _ , sunspot." He smirked, raising his fist.

 

"ALL RIGHT! EXTREME BATS STYLE!"

 

The two Sun Flame users shared matching grins as they bumped fists.

 

"You know Daiki-kun, you're kind'a terrifying when you use your style."

 

"All the better to scare away the ghostie-boos for the little ray of sunshine." 

 

"Oh shut up!"

**|S.R|**

* * *

 

 

"Chattering Herbivore."

 

Oh, my Lord of Cakes.

 

I turned my head to look up at the imposing figure of one Kyoya Hibari as he loomed over our prone forms. His slate eyes looked less than impressed by his find of two teens draped across the equivalent of his lawn, the slight raise of his right eyebrow just barely visible to the untrained eye.

 

"Good-" I glanced at my watch. "Morning, Hibari-san. How're you?"

 

"Why are you on school grounds out of hours?" He asked, fingers twitching in warning as the metal of his tonfa caught the light.

 

"WE'RE HERE TO EXTREMELY SEE DAIKI-KUN'S EXTREME FIGHTING STYLE!"

 

"Oh?" Hibari's eyes flashed in interest as they jumped from me to my partner, a stone of dread dropping in my stomach.

 

No, Ryohei, no! Don't do it!

 

"EXTREME! DO YOU WANT TO PRACTICE WITH US?!"

 

Noooo!

 

"Hm," A sharp smile touched the corners of the skylark's face as he turned to face me. "I will take you up on that offer."

 

Shit. I'm gonna die.

 

"Ah...Okay then." I sighed, shrugging in defeat as Ryohei pulled me to my feet, bouncing on his own as he began to spurt out on-the-spot rules.

 

"Every EXTREME man for himself! All out, no holding back!" He roared, looking about ready to thump his chest with his fists.

 

"Um, Ryohei-kun, you saw what my style is like. You called it BATS for a reason. If I were to go all out, I could really h-HOLY SHIT!"

 

I dropped to the ground as a flash of silver passed through the air, swiping through the space I once occupied. Pushing off the earth, I propelled myself away from the duo as they began to engage, fists and metal colliding with disconcerting ferocity.

 

Yeah, I'd like to reserve one coffin for a Yamaguchi Daiki, thanks. Reason for fatality? Dumbass bros.

 

"EXTREME RIGHT HOOK!"

 

"EXTREME warning would be nice, dude!" I yelped, falling into an unsteady bridge to allow the Cloud to fly over me as the boxer caught him in the gut.

 

"EXTREME Daiki-kun! I didn't know you were so EXTREMELY flexible!" Ryohei shouted, eyes wide with glee.

 

"Yeah," I grunted,"Neither did I."

 

Giving a groan, I let my body fall to the side, allowing me to go back into more natural positions as I pulled myself to my feet.

 

"Chattering Herbivore."

 

"Mother of Stale Fudges!" I yelped, my leg snapping up in attempts to defend myself as the visage of an incoming Skylark filled my vision.

 

A grunt escaped the older boy as the heel of my foot caught him in the gut, the sharp outwards thrust of my leg sending him stumbling back a few metres, but not enough to knock him off his feet.

 

With my attention fixated on the young Cloud, I failed to notice the charging Sun until I felt the sharp tips of his knuckles bite into the muscles of my back, his roar of "Maximum Cannon!" filling my ears. My eyes widened and my hands flew up, body reacting to the immediate danger. My hands slammed down on his broad shoulder, fingers digging into his sun-kissed skin as I kicked my legs up, tensing my arms as I worked to flip my body over his head and out of the way of the incoming fist. Planting my feet on the ground behind him, I gritted my teeth as I engaged my muscles and began to lift the younger teen, teeth grinding as I twisted my body to send 59 kilos of Sun into the back wall of the school.

 

I brought a hand to my mouth as his body hit the ground, an apology on the tip of my tongue.

 

“What the EXTREME hell was that?!” The Sasagawa child gasped, rolling onto his front as he looked at me with a stupefied expression. 

 

“Ah...Things got BATS crazy?” I laughed awkwardly, shrugging pathetically.

 

“Yes!” He cheered, fist pumping.

 

Oh God, I made a pun.

 

The sharp whistling of Hibari's tonfa snapped me from the exchange, making me duck and my leg snap out. The skylark jumped this time, landing on my outstretched leg and sending his own free one sailing towards my head. 

 

"Nope!" I chirped, balancing as I grabbed his leg in a vice-grip and brought the Cloud crashing to the earth.

 

"EXTREME LEFT HOOK!"

 

A grunt of pain left me as I was sent tumbling, the side of my face exploding in fire. I shook my head as a shadow engulfed me, warning me of the flying Skylark and allowing me to throw myself sideways to avoid his axe kick.

 

"Shit, Ryohei-kun. That was a good punch, damn." Came my voice, moving my jaw experimentally.

 

"Thanks!"

 

Rolling again when the Hibari boy made himself known, I pushed myself to my feet and launched myself at the boxer, intent on putting some distance between me and the disciplinary committee's head.

 

"Oh? An EXTREME frontal attack!?" Ryohei roared, falling into position.

 

I blinked when I recognised it, arms flying up to reciprocate the stance as we would in the ring. This time, however, I didn't hesitate to kick his legs out from under him when he began to bounce, elbow coming down on his stomach to floor him as he let out a 'whoosh' of air. A hiss escaped me as metal clashed against my shoulder, Hibari coming up behind me with his tonfa raised. His foot came next, the limb burying into my sensitive side and sending me sprawling across the dirt until I pushed myself into a handstand, letting the Skylark’s flying kick to whizz through the empty space.

 

Falling back to my feet, I dodged to the side as Ryohei's fist sailed past my face, both Suns ducking down as Hibari tried to take us out with a roundhouse kick. Taking large steps away from the skylark, I watched carefully as Ryohei engaged our upperclassman, sending a barrage of fists crashing against the metal tonfa. 

 

"MAXIMUM CANO-GAH!" The Sun Guardian gasped as the blunt end of two poles dug into his solar plexus, winding him as they threw him aside.

 

"Ryohei-kun, stop shouting what attack you're going to use!" I scolded, batting away the assault launched on me by the slate-eyed Cloud.

 

Flinching away from a swing to my face, I let my fist fly and winced in apology as it caught the skylark in the cheek, my eyes widening when he was sent head over heels into the trunk of a tree.

 

Shit, too much power!

 

"Sorry, Hibari-san!" I called, giving a nervous smile when his eyes flashed and the Cloud Flames on my radar lit up further.

 

Oh, shit.

 

"Ah, I apologised so...please don't kill me too hard?" I tried, yelping as I splayed myself out on the ground as the skylark launched himself at me, instead catching the Sun behind me.

 

"Were you about to sneak attack me?!"

 

"No! That's EXTREMELY cowardice!" He gasped, gritting his teeth as he received a blow to the cheek by the crackling Cloud.

 

"Then what was tha-AH!" 

 

I raised my arms to block to axe kick directed at my head by the airborne Hibari, grabbing hold of his leg and slamming him into the ground with perhaps a little too much strength.

 

It was weird, being on equal ground with my opponent for once, not like the Aquatic Centre, where the Mafioso was little less than double my height with longer arms and legs. Now, with an equally nimble body, strength and cognitive ability, the three of us were being forced to all but milk our systems to stay in competition.

 

And it was  _ so fun _ .

 

"Haha! You're EXTREMELY smiling, Daiki-kun!" Ryohei roared, pouncing on me as the skylark bounded away, putting distance between me and him as he protected his no-doubt bruised side.

 

"I can't help it," I laughed, kicking the younger boy's legs out from under him. "This is actually  _ really  _ fun!"

 

His eyes lit up, the boxer's face suddenly blooming with glee as he stepped away from me. 

 

All three of us stood in a triangular formation, with at least three metres between each of us. Glancing between them, I couldn't help but reflect the varied smiles that split their faces, Hibari's more subdued, but still there. 

 

"EXTREME!" Ryohei roared, pounding his fists together as his Flames lit up another level.

 

Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and called forth my Flame, looking past it to examine the Sun and Cloud presented to me.

 

Bonfires. Signals.  _ Beacons _ .

 

They were burning with a ferocity I had yet to see from them, even Ryohei's. Their tongues were all but bouncing around their tinder, ready and waiting to go into action.

 

Turning my attention, I 'blinked' when I saw Ryohei's Flames shift, the trails of sunshine moulding and moving to create a faint outline within its luminescence. The figure was familiar in both stance and build, the way it shifted in preparation and suspense telling me exactly who I was seeing through the Flames.

 

I was seeing Ryohei with my eyes closed.

 

Tilting my attention, I came closer as I watched the Flames in action, my eyes widening when I saw what was taking place. Ryohei was healing himself.

 

A flare up to the left of me made me rip my gaze away and focus on the purple Flames, dashing towards it to see what it was doing to its host. 

 

Propagation, yes? That was its attribute?

 

Focusing, I once again saw the Skylar's outline deep within the blaze, the actions confirming my suspicion. Hibari was propagating Adenosine Triphosphate, giving him boosts of energy and allowing him to hold it for longer.

 

Those little cheats.

 

I opened my eyes and grinned at the two clueless boys, taking a certain pleasure in how their muscles tensed up.

 

So, you want to fight using Flames?

 

Reaching into my core, I urged my sunshine Flames to rouse, my body suddenly buzzing with energy making me bounce on the balls of my feet as my grin became all teeth.

 

Fine, we'll fight with Flames.

 

Strains, tears and bruises mended themselves as I fell into a stance that loosely resembled one of boxing, but not quite. Adenosine Diphosphate was quickly cycled into Triphosphate, restoring my first and most effective energy source as I narrowed my eyes at the two teens across from me, their Flames shifting in curiosity and caution as they felt mine activate.

 

"Ready, Daiki-kun?" Ryohei called, shifting in anticipation as freshly healed muscles prepared to engage.

 

If they can heal themselves already, why bother being so gentle? A little pain's always good to validate someone's life.

 

"Only when you are, sunshine, birdy.” I cooed in response.

 

The smile all three of us shared was nothing less than adrenaline crazed as we hurled ourselves into the centre of our triangle, metal and flesh meeting in a frenzy of laughter and roars. 

 

Thinking fast, I dropped to the floor and slid under Hibari as he pounced at me, scrambling to my feet and reciprocating Ryohei's right hook. A loud grunt escaped me as the rounded end of the Skylark's tonfa found its home between my ribs, flinging me to the side with surprising strength.

 

"Ow, ow, ow." I hissed, holding the bruising ribs before sending a rush of Flames.

 

"Okay, up and at 'em."

 

Pushing myself to my feet, I let ideas rush through my head as the two Guardians to be turned half their attention to me as I approached. A grin etched its way into my face as I decided to try and see.

 

I wonder, how much damage can these two handle?

 

Sending a burst of Flames along my limbs, I activated the muscles, forcing them to  _ work _ and send me flying at the two stunned boys, left and right fists burying into their unprotected stomachs. Coughs of pain left them as they parted with my knuckles, their backs arching as they hit the wall in almost synchrony. 

 

I let a small laugh of excitement leave me as I withdrew my fists, a little bounce in my step as I approached their heaving forms.

 

"That was so cool!" I almost giggled, squatting down before them.

 

"That was EXTREMELY BATS crazy." Ryohei choked out, giving me a pained fist bump.

 

" _ Kamikorosu _ ."

 

Our Sun Flame fueled bodies lept away with a certain grace as the Cloud lashed out, small impacts just barely throwing us off course.

 

Slate eyes landed on me before the Committee's head came running with a vengeance, metal poles catching the light dangerously.

 

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit!

 

Sending an overdose of ATP running through my system, I burst off the ground, curling my legs up into my body, allowing the wide-eyed skylark to speed under me.

 

Spying Ryohei out of the corner of my eye, I hit the ground running letting my feet shoot me to the side. As I sped towards the stanced and grinning Sun, I felt a spark of Cloud Flames tailing me, making a devious, yet  _ incredibly  _ stupid plan appear in my mind's eye.

 

Why the hell not?

 

The grin that settled on my face must have been a sight, as Ryohei's body tensed in preparation as I neared, my own body gearing up for the dangerous stunt.

 

"Sorry, Ryohei-kun!" I shouted as I began to coil up, his eyes widening as the skylark's slate eyes meeting his own mocha.

 

"Daiki-kun, what are you EXTREMELY doing!?" 

 

"Something BATS crazy!"

 

Propelling myself off the ground, I planted my feet on the broad muscles of the boxer's chest, legs bending and body tensing as they began to prepare for the next phase. Giving a loud ‘whoop’, I launched myself off the younger Sun, bending my back and kicking my legs over, allowing me to see the wonderfully painful looking collision between the two future Guardians. 

 

Bending my knees as I hit the ground, I squatted and touched the earth with my right hand to stop myself from tipping. Despite the pain in my ankles from the impact, a grin still split my face as I watched the Sun and Cloud boys untangle themselves from each other, Hibari's tonfa tossed haphazardly around the small space that we had dominated.

 

I can't believe I managed that! Holy  _ shit! _ I hope someone got that on camera, cause I'll probably  _ never  _ manage that again!

 

" _ EXTREME _ DAIKI-KUN!" Ryohei roared, bursting from the ground and wrapping me up in steel arms.

 

"THAT WAS SO EXTREME!"

 

I laughed as he swung me around, my feet leaving the ground as flying behind me. My whooping was cut short as his grip tightened sharply and the Sun child threw me, sending my body careening into a tree.

 

"AH! I'M EXTREMELY  _ PUMPED _ !" He hollered, before spinning around and engaging the glowering Skylark in an intense fist fight.

 

"Stop shouting, Herbivore." The Cloud growled, clipping the other boy's jaw with his recollected tonfa.

 

"BREAD SLICE, EXTREMELY JOIN US!"

 

"You need Jesus."  I laughed, before pushing myself off my ass and racing at the duo, making it a trio as we weaved around each other.

 

Ducking under Ryohei's punch, I sent my own into Hibari's side, scowling as my shoulder was used as a support to elevate the skylark and allowing him to send a kick at the Sun child's head. Opening my legs, I caught the airborne Cloud's shins, lower than I would have liked, but effective as it was. The disturbance flipped him head over heels, allowing me to sidestep a jab from the grinning Sun Flame user and let it fly instead into the Disciplinary Committee Head's cheek. 

 

An 'ooh' of sympathy escaped me, shortly followed by laughter as slate eyes landed on me, a violent gleam within them hinting to his own enthusiasm. My grin still stayed even as I winced from a bruising impact from metal tonfa, spinning around and kicking Ryohei's feet out from under him, making the sun release a yelp of surprise.

 

_ "W-wow." _

 

Oh  _ shit _ .

* * *

 

**|REBORN|**

"Is that really a katana?" No-Good Tsuna asked, watching the young Yamamoto examine the piece of Vongola technology in his hands.

 

"When the head speed of the bat surpasses 300km per hour, it transforms into a katana. I'll call it Yamamoto's bat." Reborn hummed, looking up at the teens.

 

"What an amazing name."

 

Oh hush, boy.

 

He had every piece of confidence that the sushi chef's son could manage the feet, but it's always to  _ satisfying  _ when a plan comes together with little effort on Reborn's part. The man-child watched the middle school students fawn over the bat-blade, before glancing over his shoulder to the ever so faint sounds of a brawl taking place, calling forth  Leon to view one of the many cameras he had posted around the school.

 

"I don't get it, but it's great!" The young Yamamoto laughed, gazing happily up at the shiny blade.

 

"Are you sure, Yamamoto-kun?"

 

"Yeah, I like it!"

 

See, why can't you be more complacent, like Yamamoto?

 

"Training is almost complete," Reborn chirped, drawing attention back to himself. "Just one more thing to do."

 

"Huh? There's still more!?" Tsuna whined, making the baby jump and kick the young Vongola in the forehead.

 

"Nothing too strenuous, don't you worry. We're just going to see something." The Arcobaleno hummed, jumping off his fallen student.

 

"See something?" Yamamoto asked, 

 

"Ah, sorry!" Kyoko called, drawing the boys' attention. 

 

"My mother just called, I need to get back and help out for dinner. I'll see you at school, Tsuna-kun, Yamamoto-kun, Reborn-kun!"

 

"O-oh, bye Kyoko-chan." Tsuna deflated, his shoulders sagging.

 

"Be safe, Kyoko-chan!"

 

"Now," The Sun Flame user started, reclaiming the two's attention from their retreating classmate. "Time to go see a show."

 

Reborn couldn't help but let a small skip in his step, a certain joy bubbling in his stomach as he thought of all the drills he could force those three through to become a deadly weapon. He couldn't wait to get his hands on them.

**|REBORN|**

* * *

 

**|Y.T|**

 

A show? 

 

The young Rain followed after the little baby with anticipation, just barely noticing the gleam in void eyes.

 

"Hey, what's the show about? Is it an action film?!" He asked, a grin spreading across his face.

 

"No, it's a live show." 

 

"Ah! A live show! Like a play? Man, I haven't seen one of those in a while! Have you, Tsuna-san?" The batsman chirped, looking down slightly to address his smaller companion.

 

"No, not since elementary, I think." Came the younger's reply, a cautiously excited expression on his face.

 

The two teens were led through the school and towards the back, the baby pausing their progress when they were just around the corner. Laughter and loud collisions sounded from the blind spot, making Takeshi bounce with anticipation, a childish grin coming as he focused a fraction of his attention on the fedora wearing infant's next words.

 

"Okay, now, we need to be quiet from here. It's only respectful to be quiet when a show is going on, correct?" He hummed, before stepping out of the way, gesturing for the teens to go ahead.

 

"Very true, very true." Takeshi nodded, tugging the young Sky along after him.

 

"I wonder what the show's gonna be abo-" 

 

The young Rain came to a halt as his eyes landed on the display before him, three completely different bodies moving around each other with a deadly synchrony that made his blood rush. The grip he had on the younger boy's hand slipped away as he focused on the grin that split the three older boys' faces, choruses of laughter escaping them as they weaved between limbs and metal.

 

Daiki. Ryohei. Hibari.

 

They were...terrifyingly terrific.

 

Without his noticing, the young Yamamoto had started leaning forwards, the grip on his blade tightening as he watched his fiance slide across the ground, dodging a flying kick and setting himself upright in time to fall in step with his boxer classmate.

 

There was a certain energy to the trio, their bodies working in ways Takeshi had never seen before, wide eyes taking in each movement.

 

The loud grunt of pain that escaped his fiance snapped him out of his daze, earthy orbs locking on the splayed figure. 

 

Daiki released a mumble of pain as he stood, shaking off the feeling before launching himself back at his spar buddies.

 

The young Rain's eyes widened as a gaze he had never seen on the older boy before settled in amber-earth, the sharp tilt and dilation of his pupils hinting to the sudden shift in his mindset. A wide grin of devious intention became known, making the Yamamoto's breath hitch.

 

With a sudden burst of speed, Takeshi's eyes caught the shift of the older boy's muscles as he pulled off a stunt of strength and momentum. The young Rain's fists jumped as he watched Daiki's disappear into his upperclassmen's stomachs, shooting them into the wall a good distance away.

 

Amazing.

 

To think, Yamaguchi Daiki was able to do feats such as this...

 

Something curled in Takeshi's gut as he watched his fiance let out a whoop of laughter, all but bouncing over to his fallen schoolmates and fist bump his friend.

 

"That was EXTREMELY BATS crazy!" Ryohei laughed, saying 'bats' as if it were referring to something of importance, rather than just an expression.

 

" _ Kamikorosu _ ."

 

The two boys leapt from their positions with enviable synchrony, landing with just as much timing as the third year Skylark chose his target.

 

With barely any hesitation, the blue haired boy bent his legs and shot himself into the air, coiling up to give the fast moving DC head to run beneath.

 

Since when could Daiki jump that high?

 

As soon as the older boy touched the ground, he was moving again, taking off in the direction of the resident boxer. The look of calculation flashed again, before disappearing as if all caution was thrown to the wind, a brash look of enthusiasm replacing it as teeth flashed in a grin.

 

"Sorry, Ryohei-kun!"

 

What is he doing?

 

"Daiki-kun, what are you EXTREMELY doing!?"

 

He's getting too close!

 

"Something BATS crazy!"

 

Daiki, stop!

 

Just as he opened his mouth, a cautionary call on the tip of his tongue, his fiance parted with the earth.

 

Takeshi held his breath as the Sun Flame user planted his feet on his fellow's chest, using it as a springboard and flipping himself over the incoming DC head, landing in a crouch as the two other boys collided heavily.

 

The self-satisfied smile that coloured Daiki's face made the young Rain fidget, a part of him wanting to join in, but the rest of him knowing the pattern that they had set would only be disrupted by another player.

 

An ugly feeling raised its head as the large boxer lifted his fiance, spinning him around in a way that Takeshi himself could never manage, equally bright smiles shared between them as they were twirled. The feeling, however, was squashed down immediately as the momentum from the spin was used to send Daiki all but flying into a tree, the solid body of his upperclassman hitting the ground with a thud. The blue haired boy stood with a laugh, brushing off the bark and dirt from the impact and raced back into the scuffle at the other's call.

 

Now, back together, their volatile dance began again, the trio trading mutual blows as they reciprocated each blow with absolute equity.

 

It was a brutal kind of beautiful, the way they fought. It didn't have the guttural tones that gang fights had, or the grace and efficiency of a martial artist. Each player had their own way of doing things, each of them standing on the same level, just on different plains. Hibari's wide, graceful movements balanced by Ryohei's tight, sharp ones and standing just in between them, was Daiki's everything goes. A careful balancing act that incorporated each of them, a three-legged, glass table.

 

"W-wow."

 

Tsuna.

 

Sawada Tsunayoshi.

 

You just broke the balance.

 

Why.

 

The three artists halted, bodies poised in lethal poses as the disrupting noise reached them. The laughter that once coloured the air became silent and the back lawn of the school suddenly became just that, a back lawn. 

 

As if some of the magic still remained, the dangerous mens' eyes snapped to the intruders in perfect synchrony, their facial expressions morphing into variations that suited their character, before the last drop of unison was drained. 

 

Takeshi almost physically cringed when the three boys moved back into normal positions, their movements out of time and choppy compared to the display before.

 

Why, oh  _ why _ , did Tsuna have to speak!

 

"Takeshi-kun, Sawada-san." Daiki greeted, his voice sounding as if he too noticed how the transition was jarring.

 

"Y-Yamaguchi-san, Sasagawa-san, Hibari-san." The young Sky squeaked out, flinching away when slate eyes landed on him, expressing blatant displeasure.

 

"Did you two see that EXTREME fight!?" Ryohei roared, bounding over to them with the blue haired boy's head locked under his arm.

 

"Oi, let me go Ryohei-kun!"

 

"Bro, you need to EXTREMELY  _ tell  _ me when you can do that EXTREME stuff!" He hollered right into Daiki's ear, laughing when the baker's son's hands came up to cover them.

 

"But seriously! Did you see those EXTREME flips!? And that EXTREME punch!? God, I'm getting pumped just  _ thinking  _ about it!"

 

"It's not that great, Ryohei-kun. Most of that was sheer dumb luck." His fiance sighed, lowering his hands when he deemed it safe.

 

"How was that dumb luck?!" Takeshi burst out, dashing forward to stand in front of the blue haired boy.

 

"I  _ saw  _ you calculating everything! You had this super cool look on your face that was like 'shwaa!' and then you were all like 'hya'!"

 

"..." Daiki stared down at him for a moment, before placing a large hand on the younger's black hair.

 

"Sure."

 

"Don't 'Sure.' me! I mean it, you were a total badass!" The young Rain protested, waving his arms to emphasise his point.

 

"But-"

 

"Even Tsuna-san this it!" He countered, pointing at the stunned Sky.

 

"H-huh?" He squeaked, curling in on himself as four pairs of eyes landed on him.

 

"Shujin-kun was a complete badass just then, right?!" Takeshi prompted,  pulling him over to stand in front of the sweating upperclassmen.

 

"Yeah!" Tsuna agreed, with perhaps too much vigour.

 

The young Rain decided to brush it off as appreciation, joining his classmate in showering his fiance with compliments, Daiki's eventual submission the only thing that made them stop.

 

"Chattering Herbivore." Hibari called, tucking away his tonfa. 

 

"Finish what you came here for and get off school grounds, before I bite you all to death."

 

And with that, he was gone, disappearing around the corner in a manner similar to all those years ago.

 

"Sure, sure." Daiki responded, waving at the DC head as he ushered Ryohei back over to them after he had wandered off.

 

Takeshi watched as his fiancé pulled on his jacket, his body already cooling down from the intense workout, taking note of the already fading bruises. Taking steps forwards, the young Rain made to grab the older boy's hand, only for Daiki to meet him halfway and let his larger one clasp around paler fingers.

 

"Oh yeah," He paused, making the rest of the small group turn to him. "Birdy!"

 

The window above them was slammed open, slate eyes glaring down at them.

 

"What, handler?"

 

Takeshi blinked, handler?

 

"I take this as a win!" Daiki called, a smirk coming to his face.

 

"And why is that?" The Skylark asked, his body tensing as he felt a jab to his pride.

 

"Because," The blue haired boy started, his free hand disappearing out of the young Rain's sight. "I never put them on."

 

Takeshi's breath hitched, the brass metal that lined Daiki's knuckles catching the light as he curled his hand into a fist. This was the first time the Yamamoto child had ever seen the Sun don his weapons, a foolish part of him believing that they were only for show.

 

He knew better, now.

 

"Tch, fine." Hibari tisked, slamming the window shut and disappearing beyond the screen.

 

"Aww man, that means I lost too!" Ryohei whined, crossing his arms as he pouted.

 

"Haha, don't worry, it's not like you  _ could  _ win this sort of thing." The blue haired boy laughed, reattaching his brass.  "I'd never use them against a friend."

 

"But that means you aren't at full strength, and that's what his exercise was all about!" The younger Sun grouched, waving his arms.

 

"Oh hush, I  _ was  _ at full strength, thank you very much."

 

"So anyway," Daiki hummed, turning to the Rain and Sky at his side. "What's your reason for being here? Do you really like school that much?"

 

"A-ah! We were just-"

 

"The baby brought us here to train us! I got this really cool blad-huh?" Takeshi paused, rotating the baseball bat in his hands. 

 

"It turned back into a bat!"

 

Bats...

 

"What does 'Bats' mean? You and Ryohei-san were throwing that term around a lot." He asked, looking up at the two teens.

 

"BATS! It's Daiki-kun's EXTREME fighting style!" Ryohei roared, clenching his fists.

 

"Well, it's not really a style." Daiki tired, only for Takeshi to shoot off another question.

 

"Why BATS?"

 

"It's an EXTREME acronym! It stands for Break All Their Shit!"

 

"Oh my God, why did I agree to this?"

 

"Wah, so cool!"

 

"How is that cool!?" Daiki squawked, looking down at the young Rain.

 

"Anyway!" He shouted, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

 

"You said you were here for training, yes? What on Earth could Reborn-san be training you in?"

 

"I don't know, but he got Dino-san to shoot a bunch of these balls at me with a really cool pitcher machine!"

 

Takeshi noticed the slight narrowing of Daiki's eyes, his face contorting ever so slightly as he rolled the words over in his head.

 

"Cool pitcher machine...Never mind, I'd rather not know." He sighed, before looking back to the building.

 

"Was Gokudera-san here with you? I rarely see you two together without him."

 

Takeshi paused, turning to Tsuna with a thoughtful expression, before slapping on a smile. With a little hesitation, the young Rain released his promise's arm and took steps towards the school building.

 

"Tsuna-san and I should wait for him, he'll come back."

 

"Why did he EXTREMELY leave?"

 

The two first years turned their attention to the firm line of Daiki's lip as his face settled into one of realisation.

 

"He's probably just gone off to cool his head. Give him a couple more minutes, he'll get back to your...training, good as new."

 

Takeshi blinked, a part of him unsettled by how Daiki knew that, the bells ringing in the back of his head. Shaking it off, he smiled and lept at his partner, wrapping his arms around the blue haired boy's neck as he planted his lips over the other's, a surprised yelp muffled by the liplock.

 

"You're right!" The young Rain declared, releasing the older boy's mouth. 

 

"A-ah."

 

"Bye-bye Shujin-kun, Ryohei-san!" He laughed, grabbing a frozen Tsuna by his upper arm and dragging him away, self-satisfaction blooming in his chest at the flustered expression on Daiki's face.

 

Hm, Takeshi thought, I wonder what it would be like to fight against Daiki...

 

**|Y.T|**

* * *

**|Baker’s Special!** **  
**

**Five Minutes Of The Future!**

 

I sighed as I rolled away from my desk, the simple wooden door of my room ripped open as Lambo came running in, a bruise forming on his cheek as the screams of the young Vongola trio sounded from outside the house.

 

“What’s the matter, Lambo-kun?”

 

“Reborn-san’s being mean to me! He won’t let me kill him!”

 

Completely understandable.

 

Giving a hum of acknowledgement, I spun in my chair to face the sniffling child through my glinting lenses as he stepped up his tantrum. Stomping his little onesie-ed feet as he cursed the Sun Arcobaleno, little face scrunched up in childish fury.

 

“Come now, Lambo-kun. No need to throw a tantrum over such a small thing. I’m sure you’ll get to him eventually.” I tried, giving a barely there smile as he puffed up his already chubby cheeks.

 

“But I wanna kill him now! Stupid Reborn-san!” He cried, hands flying to his afro and disappearing into the frizzy blackness.

 

My eyes widened as a familiar looking purple firearm was pulled from the hammerspace, body moving to intercept its journey only to have the young cow lose his grip on the bazooka. The large weapon wobbled unsurely in his hands before tipping, the barrel pointed at me hostilely as the trigger hooked around the little cow’s horns. 

 

Shit.

 

_ Boom! _

 

Shit!

 

I slowly opened my eyes as the weightless spinning stopped, a shroud of warmth covering me until I felt a soft yet solid ground.

 

Oh God, no. 

 

I can’t be here. No, no, no!

 

A deep inhalation next to me cut through my near-panic attack, making me clasp my mouth to cease my breath. Carefully, I pulled my body from the bed I had found myself in ten years later, the light shroud slipping to reveal a surprisingly lavish room.

 

The bedroom was large and spacious, walls and surfaces adorned with items of the expensive type. There were high shelves lined with books of varying languages of which only a few I could identify and even less could read, hard and pricey looking covers making up a wall of knowledge that I'd love to get my hands on. The bed was huge, king sized or larger with thick sheets or rich colour and glorious texture. Just the right balance of firmness and delicacy made up the mattress and pillows, letting my body sink into the side comfortably. 

 

This was definitely the most lavishly comfortable room I had ever been in, and I  _ hated  _ being in it.

 

A glance over my shoulder gifted me a glance of the sleeping bed partner behind me, making me snap back and lift off the mattress, a sharp stab of fear hitting me.

 

Best not to know. 

 

Carefully padding around the room, feet leaving the carpet under the bed's frame and stepping onto cool hardwood, I began to give in a little to my more trivial curiosity. Keeping the noise to an absolute minimum, I trekked across the room and peeked into a small drawer, recoiling when I saw more than a few  _ protective  _ pieces scattered through the cramped space.

 

Closing the doors quickly, I stepped away and busied myself with reading the scribbles of English and Japanese notes on a desk, that no doubt belonged to me, pointedly ignoring the Latin-like prints that covered other stray sheets. Reports and other documents of varying legality littered the dark wood, some very ambiguous terminology used in many sentences.

 

A hiss of air escaped me as I quickly stopped a rolling pen, the damned plastic making more of a ruckus than it was allowed to. Pausing to check for any movement from the other occupant of the room, I let out a quiet breath when no there was no reaction.

 

You little son of a bitch.

 

Shaking the writing utensil threateningly, I placed it back down on the desk solidly, fingers coming to cushion the impact and mute the noise. Blinking, I looked past the stationary to read little English writing in a small, pocket-sized book. 

 

Swapping the objects in my hands, I lifted the book to my face and read the cursive-print writing through my lenses. 

 

_ Leonard Kinton, age twenty-eight. Male, airy-voiced, slightly high-pitched, Italian accent, bisexual. _

 

Leonard Kinton?

 

I frowned my brow as I reread one of many descriptions, wondering the relevance of the focus on the voice rather than appearance. I didn't recognise this name, at least, not the current me. Maybe he was of the future?

 

Why did I have a profile of him?

 

A slight tilt came to my lip as I read the next one, squinting through the darkness.

 

_ Sarah Pyre, age thirty-five. Female, sharp-voiced, steady pitch, American accent, heterosexual. _

 

Why the focus on the voice? Why did I need to know their sexuality?

 

Sighing as nothing was answered from the other profiles, I replaced the book, flipping it back to its original page. 

 

How much longer am I here? Can't be more than three minutes left, right?

 

Oh  _ God _ , I am being touched!

 

_ "And what is this?" _

 

My body tensed up in a single wave of movement as arms slid under mine and wrapped around my midriff, effectively trapping me against a solid body and removing my mobility.

 

"I'm going to take the fact that I can't recognise your voice as a blessing." I declared, surprising myself with how steady my voice was despite the rapid beating of my heart.

 

"Oh? Can't recognise my voice?" The deep, sleep heavy voice hummed, more weight shifted onto my back, forcing my arms to keep us both suspended.

 

"I guess I can't blame you, puberty did- what do you always say?- hit me like a truck."

 

I kept my eyes trained on the pages before me, ignoring the temptation to turn and look at my future bed partner.

 

"Can you, by any chance, just go back to bed?" I tried, wincing when another wave of weight was added and the buckle of the ten-year-later man's belt jabbed my back.

 

"Hm, only if you're coming with me."

 

"I'm pretty sure that that's illegal." Came my quick response, fingers digging into the wood, ready to throw both of us back.

 

"The age of consent in Japan is 13, and 14 in Italy."

 

"The age of consent rises to 16 in Italy, when one of the participants has a level of power over the other." I shot back, useless knowledge finally coming to save my ass.

 

Wait, bad word choice.

 

"You are saying I have power over you here?" He chuckled, as if amused by my little piece of trivia.

 

"I've been hoping that that's a gun." 

 

This time, he out right laughed, vibration crawling through my back as his hands decided to roam a little, trailing up my sides and fingering the edge of my binder.

 

"I'll scream, that will surely draw attention." I threatened, looking out of the corner of my eye fruitlessly.

 

"Hm, you can try, but the others are already used to you screaming."

 

Wait.

 

"But then again, I scream more often."

 

Good Lord-

 

"Thanks, but too much information." I drawled, shifting when he tried to worm a finger under the tight fabric.

 

"That isn't going to work, dude. Nice try, though."

 

"Aw, no fair."

 

"Depending on the point of view, it could be the only fleck of fairness in the room."

 

How much longer do I have? One, two minutes? Hurry up, please!

 

Gritting my teeth, I managed not to flinch as the man behind me dropped his chin on my shoulder, looking over it to read the book under my hands lazily.

 

"Oh, you're reading your character profiles?" He asked, one hand coming up to skim across my jaw, this time making me flinch.

 

"Character profiles?"

 

"Uh huh, these are all of your aliases. I'm sure you've noticed the attention to voice, correct? You, basically, host anonymous calls with these people as a proxy. It's amazing to watch, really. How easily you can invent people." 

 

"Why the sexual orientation, though?" Came my question, gazing at the last pieces of information.

 

"Well, sometimes you have to be a bit more personal with your business partners, a little bashfulness or a little assertiveness has the potential to make or break a deal."

 

The hand on my face dropped and came to trace along the descriptions, a flash of metal making me freeze up further.

 

A wedding ring.

 

"...Am I an adulter?" I asked,  some part of me wanting the answer to be yes .

 

"Adulter? No! You and I have been married for four years!" He responded, hands snapping back to chain me up.

 

"I-!" I yelped, pausing to recollect myself. "I got married? At only 21?"

 

"M-hm, and guess what?" The ten-year-later man asked, a slight giddiness to his voice.

 

"What?"

 

"You got married in a beautiful dress."

 

_ What? _

 

"Times up, bye-bye Daiki."

 

_ Boom! _

 

I coughed loudly as I waved away the smoke left from the explosion, the light of afternoon sun piercing my eyes as they tried to shift gears from night-mode.

 

As the smoke cleared, I looked around and frowned when I noticed the lack of Lambo in the room.

 

"Lambo-kun?" I called, pulling myself to my feet.

 

A loud crash outside the bakery made my head snap to the window, feet making me move faster and fling the pane open, allowing me to see the mess of Mafia that had gathered beneath my window.

 

"What are you doing?" I asked, drawing their attention away from the grenade in the little cow's hand.

 

"Ah! Yamaguchi-san!" Tsuna gaped, alarm colouring his voice.

 

"Fucking Giant!"

 

"Shujin-kun!" 

 

I blinked at the last call, turning my attention to the grinning Rain as he waved enthusiastically up at me.

 

_ "You and I have been married for four years!" _

 

Did we...

 

Waving back half-heartedly, I thought about the possibility of Takeshi and I somehow managing to keep this relationship going, despite teenaged nature to keep things short and usually messy. 

 

It was unlikely, and I would be less than surprised if one day we just stopped, but if we could keep it going...

 

I couldn't recognise his voice, but that doesn't mean he wasn't someone I knew.

 

"All of you, go home!" I ordered, pointing to the basic direction of the Sawada household, knowing their home base.

 

"We're trying, but this stupid cow won't stop ambushing us!"

 

"He's five!"

 

Best not to dwell on it. The future's already fucked as it is.

 

**…**

  
  


“Ah, you’re back!”

 

“You sexually harassed me when I was 15.”

 

“All in good fun, I swear.”

 

“Give me your belt.”

 

“What about yours?”

 

“I’ll be using both.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Word Count:17,503**

* * *

 

“Oh shit! Yamaguchi-kun's got the ball! Yamaguchi-kun's got the ball!”

 

I let out a laugh to the scream of exaggerated fear, quickly dribbling the ball around a fast incoming opponent before making a break for the goal. A flash of a bright red bib warned me of the versing team on my heels, making me almost fumble the ball.

 

“Daiki-kun! Kick the ball TO THE EXTREME!”

 

Yep, that sounds like a plan.

 

Planting my foot on the ground, I turned my other one its side and booted the soccer ball, a grin reaching my face when it bounced off the goalie’s hand and into the netted back.

 

“Alright!” I yelled, fist pumping in victory. 

 

“Good on ya, Yamaguchi-kun!”

 

“Yeah, we're in the lead now!”

 

Grins were sent between the PE class, sweaty boys laughing and throwing around lighthearted shit talk against their friends on the other side.

 

“Oh shit, Yamaguchi-kun!”

 

The call this time was less jovial and more horrified, the sound of it making the goalie pause his throw in. 

 

“Yeah?” I responded, turning to my classmate.

 

“You're bleeding! Like a lot!”

 

Following his finger, my eyes landed on a continuous trail of deep, dark liquid that originated from within the leg of my shorts. The top of my sock has already started colouring itself red as the stream flowed, an itch beginning to form as my skin became irritated.

 

Oh. Oh shit, that’s menstrual blood ain’t it.

 

You know the thing where something only hurts after you acknowledge it? Yeah, not so great sometimes.

 

On cue, a sharp pain ran through my lower stomach, making a frown tug at my lip as I stopped myself from coiling. Taking a deep breath, that was rewarded with a pang of tightness in the chest, I forced a smile on my face and waved off the younger boys’ questions of concern.

 

“It’s fine, I probably cut myself when I took that tumble back there.”

 

“Are you sure, that looks pretty bad.” Another classmate asked, wiping sweat off his chin with his red bib, obviously not convinced.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll just head up to the nurse’s office and get a bandaid or something.” I assured, waving to the teacher before calling out my intention.

 

“Ryohei-kun, if I don’t come back in time, can you grab my bag?”

 

“Sure, sure.” He nodded, chasing after the ball as it passed him.

 

With that, I jogged from the field, keeping myself nonchalant as possible, before turning the corner and  _ sprinting _ . Being a bit further than the middle of class, there was no one on the halls to stop me on my suicide sprint, the occasional ping of dull pain in my upper thighs or lower stomach only slightly hindering my upward dash to the infirmary.

 

From memory, I pulled a faded timetable that hinted to the nurse’s lunch break, meaning that the office should be vacant for the next half an hour, giving me time to find the feminine hygiene products. This had only happened once, me forgetting about my cycle, but it had been in a more forgiving environment and had much fewer witnesses. I could just hope they didn’t bother reading into it too much, I doubted they would come to the conclusion of my gender, but from the origin of the blood, they may think of more absurd ideas, knowing them.

 

Taking a breath, I came to a sudden stop before the door of the infirmary, pausing to check for any noise. When I heard none, I quickly ducked in before anyone could see me, closing the door behind me softly.  

 

Moving quickly, I got to the cupboard which housed the items, opening the plain white doors to search through the shelves, before stopping.

 

They're not there...

 

_ "Is this, what you're after? Yamaguchi-chan?" _

 

Fuck...

 

Slowly closing the two panels, I turned to the other occupant of the room, keeping my head low as I did. White pants were the first clue of who had referred to me, the rest of the man's appearance becoming known as I let my eyes trail up and land on his face, the cocky smirk adorned on it making me clutch the counter behind me tightly.

"Good afternoon, Shamal-sensei." I greeted through gritted teeth.

 

The old trident merely waved the small packet in his hand, his smirk spreading as he let his gaze fall on the spread trail on my leg, messied by my run.

 

"You seem to be in a bit of trouble at the moment, so I'll give you a bit." He laughed, tossing the hygiene pack at me.

 

I caught it, pausing as I thought about the possibility of denying his claim, before sighing.

 

"I'll be back in a couple minutes, don't go  _ anywhere _ ." 

 

"Wouldn't dream of it." Shamal responded, dropping down into his wheelie chair lazily.

 

Pulling my face back into one of neutrality, I quickly moved to the bathrooms, pulling myself into a stall and fixing the issue at hand.

 

As I walked back to the infirmary, I tried to piece together the chaos in my mind.   
Never before had I come into this kind of situation, no one had ever questioned my gender. Even the things that I couldn't hide, like certain walking patterns or the slimness of my waist, were just taken as one of my features. They weren't put under the microscope outside of jovial poking from classmates and friends.

 

"I'm going to have to be more careful." I bit out, sliding the door open with perhaps a little too much force.

 

"Three days after I fixed up the Vongola." He stated, not letting me open my mouth.

 

"What?"

 

"That's how long I've known you were a girl." Shamal answered, spinning around to face me. "I will admit, I am embarrassed at how long it took, but you weren't my top priority at the time."

 

"Of  _ course _ a womaniser like you would be the one to figure it out first." I sighed, moving to lean against the side of his desk, dropping the packet of tampons on his lap before crossing my arms. "Thanks."

 

"You should be more mindful of your cycle, people might get suspicious." He commented, putting them away.

 

"Why do you care?"

 

"Because," Shamal breathed, looking at me over his shoulder. "It gives me a one-up on Reborn-san." 

 

An airy laugh left me, my eyes closing in slight relief. 

 

"You Mafia people."

 

"Okay, go on, get out. Your little secrets safe with me." The doctor ordered, waving his hand.

 

"Unless you wanna stay with me, of course." 

 

"Yeah, no." I declined, pushing off the table. "Bye-bye, Shamal-sensei."

 

"Later, Yamaguchi-chan."

 

"I hope you don't plan on calling me that in public, you old leecher."

**…**

 

“Daiki-kun! Are you EXTREMELY okay!?”

 

I picked up my head from my desk, turning to him slowly, my eyes narrowed in distaste.

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“Huh?! What did I do!?” He asked, stunned.

 

“Just, fuck you.”

* * *

 

"Food! Food! Food!" Lambo cheered, jumping on the table as I helped Kaede carry in the unusually large breakfast.

 

"Lambo-kun, get off the table." I ordered, pulling my mother's chair out for her.

 

The little cow poked his tongue out at me, but turned and moved off the table, sitting down on the pillows stacked up on the chair for him.

 

"Ah, the Three Days are always so nice. All calm and relaxing." Kaede cooed, gently seating herself as she took up her utensils.

 

"..." I paused and looked at the calendar, a grimace showing on my face as I counted the days.

 

"Is something wrong, Daiki-kun? Did I add too much salt?" She asked, bringing a small bundle of rice to her mouth in worry.

 

"No, no. Nothing like that, it's just." I groaned. "I'm gonna be 16 in a couple days."

 

Without warning, Kaede began to squeal, hand coming to cover her mouth as she gushed over the information.

 

"Oh, my little man's gonna be  _ 16 _ ! It feels like just yesterday when Yamada-kun and I brought you home from the hospital!" She chirped, leaning to throw her arms around me.

 

"Kaa-san!" I whined, flailing my arms comically as she smothered me.

 

_ "EEEEEEXTRREEEEEEEME-" _

 

I snapped up the phone and answered the call, cutting off the scream as Kaede giggled girlishly beside me, reaching to clean Lambo's face after he made a mess of himself.

 

"Yes, Ryohei-kun?" I asked, flicking the little cow's hand when they strayed a little too close to my plate.

 

_ "Daiki-kun! We've been invited to an EXTREME NEW YEAR'S GATHERING by Sawada-san!"  _ He roared, making me tilt away from the receiver.

 

"Ah, is that so?" I hummed, filling my mouth with Osechi.

 

_ "So? Are you EXTREMELY coming?" _

 

"I don't think I wi-Hey!"

 

"Of course he'll be coming!" My mother cooed into the phone she had yanked away from me, all smiles. 

 

"Nana-chan's house you say? Okay, he'll meet you there! Bye-bye, Ryohei-kun!"

 

I gaped at her as she shut my phone, a huge smile on her face.

 

"Come on, everyone! Let's finish up and get ready!"

 

"Eh? You're coming too?" I asked, shoving the rest of my plate into my mouth as fast as I could, recognising her spur of the moment actions.

 

"Well, of course, I haven't seen Nana-chan for at least a month!" 

 

Quickly gathering our plates, I rinsed them off before placing them in the dishwasher, chasing after Lambo as he tried to knock a lolly jar off the top shelf.

 

"Daiki-kun, don't forget to wear your yukata!" Mother called from her bedroom, making me sigh loudly.

 

By  _ 'your'  _ yukata, she meant  _ 'your father's' _ yukata, of course.

 

Fighting off a scowl, I placed Lambo on the couch and turned on a children's show that should entertain him long enough to let me change in peace.

 

Padding up to my room quickly, I locked my door behind me before opening my closet, pulling out the informal yukata that had been hiding in the back since last year. Much grumbling and repeated movements later, I had finally got the obi the right tightness, turning to give myself a once-over in the mirror.

 

"Time to go, sweetheart!"

 

"Coming!" I responded, shoving my phone in the sleeve and chasing the call out.

 

Stepping off the stairs, I paused when I saw Lambo in a little kimono, the small calf sucking on a lolly as he was cradled in Kaede's arm. The dazed expression on her face made me raise an eyebrow, as I inwardly cringed, recognising the signs.

 

"You look so much like your father, my little man." 

 

"Haha, not little anymore, kaa-san." I responded with a slightly strained smile, stepping up next to her to show off the head's height in difference.

 

"Oh hush, you'll always be my baby. Even when you have a walking stick and a bad back." She huffed, waving off my squawk of indignation as she shoved a folded fan into my obi.

 

"Come along, boys! Let's not keep Nana-chan and the other's waiting!"

 

Taking Lambo from her, I let him crawl up my arm and sit on my shoulder, warning him not to scream too loudly while next to my ear. Closing and locking the door behind us, I fell in step with the lady of the house, listening to her titter on about her first New Years with Yamada, a grimace of a smile on my face.

 

"We got separated for a bit, but he found me within the hour, so it wasn't too bad!"

 

"How did you get split?" I asked, wondering if I had missed something somewhere.

 

"Oh, he said he was going to buy some drinks. He must've gotten lost, considering how big the festival was."

 

The tilt of my lip dropped slightly. You don't get lost in something you've been attending since you could walk.

 

"Ah, here we are!" She chirped, dashing in and ringing the doorbell.

 

"Nana-chan!"

 

"Kaede-chan!"

 

I blinked as they hugged each other, looking less like single housewives and more like school girls.

 

"Daiki-kun! Oh, you look so handsome in your yukata!" Nana cooed, ushering me forwards so she could hug me.

 

"It's his father's." Kaede commented, making her longtime friend all but swoon.

 

"I should get Tsuna-kun to wear Iemitsu-kun's yukata too!"

 

They exchanged smiles before rushing in, claiming the kitchen as their grounds as they began to update each other on their lives and the lives of others.

 

I rolled my eyes as Kaede began to tell Nana something she had heard from Kiyoko-baa-chan, who had heard from Azami-san, who had heard from her neighbour, who had heard from her daughter, and so forth.

 

Toeing off my shoes, I stepped into the hall before ducking into the living room, waving half-heartedly at the three laying figures beneath the kotatsu. 

 

"Good morning, Bianchi-san, Reborn-san, I-pin-chan." I greeted, taking a seat off to the side.

 

"Good morning, Yamaguchi-san." Bianchi hummed, offering me a box that was left over.

 

Over the terms, Bianchi and I had actually gotten pretty well acquainted with one another. We weren't  _ friends _ , but we shared the common interest of cooking, and let me tell you, Poison Scorpion Bianchi is an  _ amazing  _ chef. Her cakes were my personal favourite, because, once you got past the poison, they were  _ delicious _ . Always so soft and moist, it was almost ridiculous! 

 

Sure, I had to keep my Sun Flames in constant activation when eating her dishes but that was a price I was willing to pay.

 

Giving the osechi a once over, I accepted it once I saw no hostile ingredients in this dish.

 

"Thank you."

 

"No worries. Nice yukata." She responded, turning her head to face me.

 

"...Thank you."

 

Obviously feeling my dislike for her last statement, she turned her head back and feel into an open-eyed sleep, just in time for Tsuna to open the door.

 

"Ah, it's so cold-huh?!" He stumbled, pausing as he took in the scene before him.

 

"What's this? The Three Days are about to be over and you're just rolling around?"

 

"We're full. Go somewhere else."

 

"That's because you're taking up two spaces! Open one up, I wanna have breakfast." 

 

His eyes trailed over the decimation that was the table, his face falling as he realised the fate of the food.

 

"You ate it  _ all _ !?"

 

"Reborn-kun ate it all." Bianchi corrected, lifting her head slightly.

 

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

 

"There's still some left." She offered, presenting the young Vongola with a box of purple, fuming goods.

 

"Some that I made. Enjoy."

 

"I'm not going to eat that and die at the beginning of the year!"

 

A loud sigh left me, making the young Vongola snap his head around, his eyes widening in surprise.

 

"Y-Y-Yamaguchi-san!?"

 

“Good morning, Sawada-san.”

* * *

 

**|S.T|**

 

Why!?

 

Why is Yamaguchi here!?

 

"Good morning, Sawada-san." The older boy greeted, withdrawing his chopsticks from his lips.

 

"G-good morning." The young Vongola squeaked out, looking ready to take a step back in caution.

 

Tsuna froze as a loud noise rang through the room, vibration ringing through his body as everyone slowly turned their heads to face him. His face flushed red as he tried to remember if the Mafia in his house had given him enough leniency to allow him to get to his dinner last night, his shoulders sagging when a negatory came to mind.

 

"Come, sit here Sawada-san." 

 

The young Vongola turned at the call, blinking when he saw Yamaguchi tapping the ground beside him.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Sawada-san." He said again, his voice more clipped and warning.

 

"Y-yes!" Tsuna squeaked, dropping down on his knees next to him.

 

"Here, eat this. I've already had my breakfast for today." The blue haired boy breathed, handing his junior the osechi box.

 

"Thanks." The young Sky breathed, taking the box in his hands before pausing.

 

The chopsticks...Yamaguchi used these chopsticks!

 

His head snapped to the side to see the elder boy, wide eyes watching as he fiddled with his phone nonchalantly. He was obviously in a lot less distress about the situation as compared to Tsuna, the young Vongola clutching the wooden sticks tightly.

 

"Ah..." He gulped, wondering if he should bring it up.

 

"If you don't want it, I'll take it back."

 

"No! No, It's just-" His throat caught against his will, something stopping him from continuing the sentence.

 

"Nevermind, I'll eat!" 

 

Taking a dramatic breath, Tsuna pinched some rice with the Yamaguchi Chopsticks and shoved them in his mouth.

 

_ "An indirect kiss." _

 

Oh my God!

 

"Ah, Reborn-san, welcome back to the waking world." The blue haired second year greeted, waving slightly.

 

"And what's this about an indirect kiss?"

 

No!  _ Hush _ ! Say  _ nothing _ , Reborn!

 

"Nothing.

 

Oh, thank the Lord.

 

"Speaking of Japanese New Years-"

 

"We weren't speaking about Japanese New Years." Yamaguchi commented.

 

"We have to do that!"

 

"You're going to do something that will put Sawada-san through the grinder again, aren't you." The blue haired boy sighed, rubbing his face.

 

"Oh? Whatever made you think of that?" The baby hitman asked a gleam in his eye.

 

"I have absolutely  _ no  _ idea." Tsuna's upperclassman exclaimed, rolling his amber-earth eyes.

 

"By 'that', do you mean..." Bianchi asked, sitting up.

 

"Yeah, I mean..."

 

Tsuna glanced up at Yamaguchi, biting his tongue when he saw the sheer deadpan that painted his face.

 

"Really? Are they  _ really  _ doing- Jesus Christ." He sighed, placing his hand over his face.

 

"Ah, Yamaguchi-san, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?" The young Vongola asked, working up some courage.

 

"Hm? Oh," The older boy looked down at the shorter before responding. "Apparently you called me and the others here, but I think that it was Reborn-san who masterminded this whole shenanigan. I hope you're ready for it."

 

"Haha, I hope I am too." The young Sky laughed pathetically, his sentence dying down.

 

"Keep eating, Sawada-san, you'll need the energy." He instructed, guiding the younger's hand slightly.

 

"O-oh, yeah!" 

 

Oh God, if he realises, I'm dead!

 

"Is something wrong? You're eating it quite slowly." The older boy asked, leaning slightly to look at the box in Tsuna's hands.

 

“No, no! Nothing is wrong!” The Decimo squeaked, freezing up rather than moving away.

 

“Let me try.” Yamaguchi breathed, reaching out and taking the wooden utensils from littler hands.

 

A barely auditable choke left the young Vongola as the elder boy fed himself, holding the ends of the sticks in his mouth as he pondered the flavours.

 

“It's fine, eat.” He declared, handing back the chopsticks to the frozen teen.

 

“I-i-i-”

 

“What?”

 

Indirect kiss! 

 

“I will!” The young Vongola managed out, replacing the rice packed ends in his mouth.

 

I'm gonna die young, I know I am!

 

Looking up at the elder boy out of the corner of his eye, the small Decimo took the chance to analyze his house guest.

 

He looked...really nice in traditional clothing.

 

Tsuna chewed on the sticks of wood in his mouth as he fought down a flush, letting his eyes trail down the clothing of various shades of grey. Yamaguchi’s hand was quietly tapping away at his phone, the other resting on his knee, legs folded under him politely. Straight back and squared shoulders made him seem larger than he perhaps actually was, forcing the young Vongola to tilt his head back slightly when addressing him.

 

The sudden snapping of the elder’s head yanked Tsuna from his musing, the alert expression setting him on guard as amber-earth eyes seemed to look through the walls of his home.

 

“Is something wrong, Yamaguchi-san?” He asked carefully, watching him as bright orbs darted around.

 

“...Lambo-kun’s doing something stupid again. Pardon me, Sawada-san.” The baker’s son excused himself, standing and briskly walking out of the room.

 

“A-ah, I’ll come with you! Wait up!” Tsuna called, scrambling to his feet and chasing after the larger boy.

 

Falling in step with Yamaguchi, Tsuna glanced up at him, finding his expression pulled into one of careful neutrality, but his eyes were snapping around as if taking in details that evaded the young Vongola's own. 

 

“He’s gathering quite the crowd.” He hummed, grabbing the handle of the front door and swinging it open.

 

“Hahahaha! Lambo-san will take those otoshi-damas!” The little calf exclaimed loudly, drawing attention to himself.

 

Oh God!

 

Tsuna felt the dreadful stabbing of embarrassment when he saw the toddler standing on his wall, screaming at passersby for money.

 

“Oh no, you don’t.” The familiar bass of Yamaguchi’s voice sounded, drawing him out of his pain.

 

“Lambo-kun, that’s enough.” 

 

The elder boy strode forwards, plucking the child away from his latest hustle and apologised to the couple, a certain grace to his actions that made both of them flush.

 

“Oh, it’s no trouble!”

 

“Yes, yes! It’s to be expected of children this time of year!”

 

“Thank you, kindly.” He smiled, before gesturing for Lambo to apologise.

 

“Hmph,” The child pouted, before conceding. “Lambo-san’s sorry for yelling at you.”

 

The blue haired boy then turned the child in his hands, giving him a quiet scolding as he moved them back into the house, leaving the young Sawada standing out in his front garden, staring blankly at the place he once occupied.

 

“Tsuna-kun! Come back in, you need to get dressed!” His mother called, waving at him from the door.

 

“Dressed?” He asked, jogging over to her.

 

“Well yes! You saw Kaede-chan and Daiki-kun’s clothes! They’re all dressed up, so we should too!”

 

The young Vongola Decimo let out a squawk of surprise as his mother grabbed him and towed the two of them up the stairs, calling for their two house guest to follow.

 

_ “Kaa-san, what are we doing exactly?” _ He heard Yamaguchi ask.

 

_ “We’re going to help Nana-chan and Tsuna-kun get changed into their kimono and yukata!” _

 

_ “Pardon me- What?” _

 

“Daiki-kun, help Tsuna-kun into his yukata! Heaven know’s the last time he wore one!” The lady Sawada ordered, all but pushing the two boys into the young Sky’s room before bolting with her high school friend.

 

Silence flooded the room as the door clicked shut, leaving the boys alone with each other. Tsuna fidgeted unsurely, glancing around his room, more often than not, bringing his attention back to the taller teen beside him.

 

“A-ah-”

 

“Where is it?” Yamaguchi suddenly asked, cutting him off.

 

“It?” 

 

“Your yukata. Where is it?” He repeated, looking down at the young Vongola out of the corner of his eye.

 

“O-oh! It’s on the top...shelf...” Tsuna trailed off, a flash of dread hitting him.

 

The top shelf. The one he couldn’t reach, being as vertically challenged as he was.

 

“Can you go get it?”

 

“...” A flush hit the smaller boy’s face as he shifted his weight.

 

“What was that?”

 

“I can’t...reach it.”

 

Silence again reigned in the room, making the young Sky look up from his feet to see Yamaguchi’s face smoothed into one of mild amusement, a faint raise of his halved eyebrow making Tsuna want to stomp his foot in indignation.

 

“Okay then, show me where I’m going.” He breathed, gesturing to the room’s space.

 

Pouting slightly, the young Decimo led the larger boy to the shelf, pointing up at the cloth that evaded him, even when he gave an experimental jump.

 

“The...orange one?” He asked, pausing when he saw the colour. 

 

“...Yeah.” 

 

“Careful, you sound like you’re whining, Little Fish.” The blue haired boy chuckled, reaching over the smaller to grab the clothes.

 

Tsuna’s head snapped up when he heard the title, stalling when he came face to face with Yamaguchi’s stomach as he stretched to reach up. From what the little Sky could tell, the elder boy hadn’t realised that he had just used the time old nickname, making a mixture of relief and disappointment slither through his mind.

 

“Okay, here we go. Can you do this on your own?” 

 

“Ah...” When was the last time he had put one of these on?

 

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’, then.” The blue haired Sun sighed, guiding the Sky to the centre of the room.

 

Tsuna stood, unsure of what he was expected to do, glancing around and grimacing at the mess that was his room.

 

“Well?” Yamaguchi hummed, still holding the cloth.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You gonna undress, or what?”

 

“Huh!?” 

 

Whoa-What!? Undress in front of  _ Yamaguchi _ !?

 

As if sensing his distress, the older boy rolled his eyes and gave a loud sigh, shaking his head.

 

“Sawada-san, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, trust me. I hardly care about what you have under those clothes.”

 

...Ouch. That hurt more than he expected it to.

 

“And besides, you’re not taking your underpants off, so nothing essential is going to be seen.”

 

With his pride a bit bruised, the young Sky pulled the light blue hoodie over his head and dumped it on his bed, removing his pants next. Fiddling with his hands in front of his chest, he glanced up at Yamaguchi, breath hitching when he saw amber-earth eyes focussing on his bare body.

 

“Okay, now, let’s get started.” He hummed, stepping forwards.

 

Tsuna let the elder boy manipulate his body into the traditional clothing, following the instructions given to him immediately, brain too muddled to do anything else.

 

“Can you hold this here, Little Fish?” He asked, pinching the two parts of the yukata itself.

 

“A-ah, sure.” The young Sky answered, grabbing the material.

 

13.

 

That was the thirteenth time they had made skin on skin contact through this activity. Every time, Tsuna’s heart would hit a pothole and bounce around uncontrollably for a few seconds, leaving him shaken and the air in his lungs thin.

 

“Alright, now for the obi.” Yamaguchi muttered, dropping to his knees in front of the smaller male.

 

It took all the self-discipline that Tsuna did not have to stop himself from stepping back in surprise, large hands coming to pull him closer after a moment of fiddling with the material in them. His body was jostled gently as the sash was tied, the occasional “too tight?” tossed in his direction, which he’d answer with a negatory.

 

“Kay, all done. Let’s go show your mother.” The taller boy hummed, looking up at the Sky from his knees.

 

“Sure.” Tsuna breathed, still dazed from the whole experience.

 

As they padded down the hall, the young Sky glanced up at his older companion, fixing his body to mimic that of the young Yamaguchi’s.

 

“Kaa-san, we’re done!” The Sun called, stepping into the living room where the two mothers were fussing over accessories.

 

“Oh, Tsuna-kun!”

 

“Waa! So handsome!”

 

Tsuna pretended not to notice Yamaguchi bring his sleeve to his mouth to cover the quiet snickers that fell from it as the two women circled him. The young Vongola jumped when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder, forcing him to stand straight.

 

“Spine straight, shoulders back. You look good in this, wear it well.” He felt whispered into his ear, warm breath moving around his neck.

 

Following the hushed instructions, the young Sky moved, tucking his hands in his sleeves and opening his shoulders. He felt himself flush when his mother beamed with pride, something he hadn’t seen in a long time.

 

The doorbell going off brought the four people out of their musing, the lady of the Sawada house calling down the hall as she and her friend went to answer it.

 

Almost immediately, Tsuna’s attention was turned to Yamaguchi as he stepped up in front of the younger boy, reaching out and fixing little things with the Decimo’s appearance. The Sky held down a shiver as he tried to smooth out fluffy hair by running his fingers through, repeating the action multiple times when only a little ground was made. A hum of dissatisfaction left the taller boy as he bent his knees to see from eyeline with the Vongola heir, frowning when he saw no change.

 

Tsuna bit his tongue when he noticed how close their faces were, dropping his gaze to the floor in hopes the warmth in his cheeks would die down.

 

“Well, that seems like the best I can do for that fluffy mess.” He sighed, reaching out and tucking a tuft behind the Sky’s ear absentmindedly.

 

“Sorry,” The young Decimo laughed quietly. “My hair's always been a bit of a trouble.”

 

The Sky flushed happily as the two shared a smile, slight laughs leaving them.

 

“You two! Come say hello!” The Decimo’s mother called, drawing their attention.

 

"Ah, coming!" He called, glancing back at his older companion.

 

Another wave of heat hit him as he was flashed another smile, before the young Sky found himself gently pushed forwards towards the doors. Tsuna felt his jaw unhinge when he witnessed their latest arrival, the sight of one Sasagawa Kyoko decked out in a pale pink kimono too much for his already flustered mind to handle.

 

His heart stumbled in its beating when her face lit up, polite smile widening in joy. A rush of glee hit him as his crush took steps towards him, arms out for what could very well be a hug.

 

"Ki-nii!" She cheered, wrapping her arms around the elder boy's neck.

 

What...?

 

God damn it! That's not fair!

 

Tsuna openly pouted at the scene of the two people hugging, Kyoko's sunny smile pointed up at Yamaguchi as he gently brushed his fingertips over the ornament in her hair.

 

"Ah, Tsuna-kun! Happy New Year's!" She cooed from within their upperclassman's hug, bowing her head as well as she could.

 

"Happy New Year." He breathed, a bit of glee coming back as she turned her attention to him.

 

The young Vongola fought down the desire to puff his cheek out childishly when the blue haired boy raised an eyebrow at him.

 

"Nii-san said that this would be the first time he's come over to your house! He's really excited!"

 

"Don't you mean 'extremely'?" Yamaguchi laughed, making Kyoko giggle.

 

"Oh, I see." Tsuna hummed, before yelping in surprise. "Nii-san!?"

 

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!"

 

Oh God, my ears.

 

The young Vongola shrunk down as the elder Sasagawa boomed out his new year's resolution, only turning his attention away when Yamaguchi threw his arm over the other's neck in greeting.

 

"Tenth! Happy New Year!"

 

Oh no, there's more.

 

"Tsuna-san, happy New Years."

 

"Yo, Tsuna-san!"

 

The Sky openly gaped at the array of people surrounding him, his mind already settling on the mastermind of the whole event.

 

Reborn, when I get my hands on you- I'll probably be able to do nothing...God damn.

 

A movement caught his attention, making him look to it through the animatedly chatting crowd.

 

Yamaguchi didn't look pleased.

 

He was scanning the crowd with an expression of dislike layered with thin panic, his hands were clenching by his sides as he shot the door of the Sawada house venomous looks.

 

The whole gang's here.

 

Tsuna looked back to the tallest member.

 

Including Yamaguchi Daiki...

 

God damn it, Reborn.

 

**|S.T|**

* * *

 

God damn it, Reborn.

 

I tried my best to hold back the scowl that threatened to bloom forth instead turning my attention to the fast approaching Rain, a loud call of greeting leaving him as he all but jumped on me.

 

"Happy New Year, shujin-kun!" He laughed, letting his legs drop back to the ground as I straightened back up.

 

"Argh, happy New Years, Takeshi-kun, everyone." I sighed, bringing on arm up to wrap around his waist to support the young Yamamoto as he rocked a bit on his feet.

 

“Hahi!? Shujin-kun!?” Haru yelped, staring at us with wide eyes.

 

“Oh yeah, Haru-chan doesn't know you yet does she? Haru-chan, this is Yamaguchi Daiki, my fiance!” Takeshi laughed, wrapping an arm around my waist.

 

“Actually, Takeshi-kun, I already am acquainted with Haru-san. She’s a regular at the bakery.” I corrected, smiling when he flushed a little.

 

“Ah, well that’s great!”

 

"So, Tsuna-san, did you call us all here to play?" The Rain asked, leaning back against me to look at the confused Sky.

 

"A-ah, I don't recall inviting anyone for New Years." He tried, looking lost and scared.

 

A slight tilt came to my lip and my grip on the young Yamamoto's waist tightened as the ground shook and split, revealing a cosplayed Reborn sitting on a raising pillar.

 

"Reborn-san, what convenient timing! Almost as if you were sitting under there for the past five minutes, waiting for your cue!" I laughed, finding a certain pleasure as Tsuna choked on his spit.

 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Yamaguchi-san." The baby hitman hummed, waving his little green fan at me warningly.

 

"I see you're all assembled." He then said, turning to the rest of the group. "Good, because we're about to begin the official Vongola Ceremonial Family New Year's Battle."

 

This...This is familiar.

 

A frown touched my face as Tsuna stepped forth to ask what the hell the baby was going on about.

 

If it's familiar, then I'm guessing that I don't want to be around for it.

 

"Hey, your opponents are here."

 

Shit.

 

We all turned to the incoming party, instantly recognising the suited men and their blond leader, riding in on a truck that had seen some shit.

 

"Sorry to keep you waiting! Everyone, hop on!" Dino called, waving his hand.

 

As the car came to a halt beside us, I took steps back to show I wasn't part of the attending party, pointedly ignoring the look Takeshi sent me when I released my hold on him.

 

"Ah, Yamaguchi-san, was it?" The blond boss asked when he noticed our exchange.

 

"Yes, that's me. Dino of the Cavallone, correct?"

 

"Yep. Are you gonna get on?" He asked, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.

 

"Hm, I don't thi-Shit!"

 

I gave a yelp of surprise as Ryohei reached out and yanked me in, a laugh leaving him as he slammed his hand down on my back good-naturedly.

 

"C'mon Daiki-kun! It'll be EXTREMELY fun!"

 

"Sometimes, Ryohei-kun, I hate you." I sighed, pulling myself to my feet.

 

"A-ah, if you really don't want to come..." Tsuna started, only to be cut off by my sigh.

 

"It's fine, we're already moving and I'm already here. I just  _ won't  _ participate." I pointed the last part at the baby hitman, making sure he heard me above the wind and engine.

 

From his smile, however, I don’t think he gave a damn.

**...**

As we split into two groups by the river, I made sure to keep some space between myself and the rest of the Vongola party. My efforts, however, were thwarted when Takeshi noticed the distance, closing it instantly and seating himself in my crossed legs. The ruckus he produced, called the attention of the others, drawing them over and once again, making us a unit.

 

God damn it, Takeshi.

 

"So, this is your Family." Dino hummed, looking at each of us.

 

"I see there are some new faces. This year's official Vongola Ceremonial Battle will be interesting." 

 

Why is the name so long? Can't they abbreviate it? Make an acronym, or something? VFB doesn't sound too bad.

 

"Question!" Tsuna called, raising his hand slightly. "What is the Vongola Battle?"

 

See? There we go, Vongola Battle, nice and short.

 

"It's a battle between allied families, a Vongola tradition which shows each other's enthusiasm for the new year. A representative from each Family will compete in New Year's themed events to win points for the overall win."

 

"Ah," I breathed quietly, memory clicking in place of this particular episode. 

 

"Oh, it's just a game!" The Vongola Sky breathed, a part of him looking unconvinced.

 

"Yes, but the losing Family has to pay a 100 million yen fine."

 

...

 

"Well, that escalated quickly." 

 

In my lap, Takeshi let out a loud laugh, closely followed by Ryohei, the two of them leaning on me as they continued on.

 

"Oh shit," I said, looking between them then up at the standing Mafia. "I said that aloud didn't I? Sorry, 'bout that."

 

"It can't be helped," Reborn shrugged. "It's tradition."

 

"Which Boss thought of that?!" Tsuna whined, slinking over to squat beside his heaving Rain.

 

"Okay, okay you two. That's enough, it wasn't that funny." I sighed, patting the Rain's cheek slightly.

 

"100 million yen sounds nice, even if it were just a dream." Kyoko giggled to her female friend, sparking Haru's own call of enthusiasm.

 

"They all think it's a game." Tsuna sighed, making me almost feel sorry for him.

 

_ Almost _ , not quite, though.

 

"Don't worry, just have fun. Even  _ you  _ do your best when you enjoy something." I tried, resting my hand on his slumped shoulder.

 

His eyes brightened with his smile, the Sky looking hopeful for a moment, before it all dropped into a suspicious, narrow-eyed expression.

 

"What do you mean, 'even you'?"

 

"Exactly how it sounds, Little Fish. Now, go stand with Reborn-san, you're starting."

 

"Ah! God!" He yelped, jumping up and dashing back to the podium.

 

"You and Tsuna-san seem to be getting along, now."

 

Looking down, I let a small smile come to my face when I saw the puff of Takeshi's cheek, a miffed expression on his face.

 

"He's fun to get a reaction out of, sometimes." Came my answer, hand coming to gently knead behind his ear.

 

Blowing his cheek further, the young Rain burrowed his nose into my shoulder, grabbing my free hand in his own. Smiling a bit more, I gently pressed a kiss to the exposed nape of his neck, giving a quiet laugh when he jumped.

 

"First kiss of the New Year." I mumbled, feeling him smile into my shoulder.

 

Jesus, if I knew I'd become such a sucker...

 

"We'll begin. I'm the judge." Reborn declared, waving his fan.

 

"Win or lose, no grudges, Tsuna-san." Dino hummed, looking all too ready to take on the dazed looking Sky.

 

"Why did this happen?" He whimpered, turning away from the cocky look.

 

I blinked when Reborn reached behind him, pulling out a large shell horn out of the hammerspace that seemed to follow him around.

 

"The first round is fortune slips!"

 

"Fortune...slips." Tsuna said slowly, looking at the baby hitman.

 

"That's right, over there." He answered, gesturing to the river.

 

The rest of the attending people followed the green fan, varying expressions coming into play when a crocodile surfaced from the water.

 

For those who did not understand, let me repeat. A  _ crocodile _ .   
Like, full on, crikey mate, Steve Irwin would have tackled it, crocodile.

 

"Sure. Why not? When you have the money and the damn, why not just import a Fortune Slip Crocodile from the waters of Italy. I mean, it's only natural."

 

"You're really not having any of this, are you?" Takeshi hummed, looking up at me.

 

"What are you talking about? This is completely normal, Reborn-san is a completely normal individual, what, with his shapeshifting lizard-"

 

"Leon-kun is a chameleon, thank you."

 

"-Chameleon, sorry. This isn't strange at all. I have no reason to be shocked or confused by what is taking place- and you have no reason to be laughing at me, Sasagawa Kyoko."

 

The dainty girl continued to giggle hysterically into her sleeve, pausing only when Haru gently pat her on the back.

 

"Sorry Ki-nii, it's just, I haven't seen you this miffed since you kept dying in Nii-san's game!"

 

"That mushroom thing was a  _ menace _ . It didn't die, no matter how many times I shot it." I scowled, pushing Ryohei over when he let out a chuckle.

 

"Go on, sunspot, grab your team a bunch a luck."

 

"EXTREME! Leave it to me!" He roared, getting to his feet and interrupting the exchange between the Vongola Sky and Reborn.

 

"So, you're terrible at first person shooter games."

 

"Hush, Takeshi-kun."

 

"I don't believe in fortune slips! Because you chose your own destiny!" Ryohei roared, sending his fist into the croc's open mouth.

 

I managed to keep my face blank as the animal's jaws came down on the Sun's arm too gently to do real damage to human flesh.

 

Good lad.

 

"EXTREME!"

 

Ow. That...That looked like it hurt the crocodile.

 

"My teeth hurt." I mumbled, rubbing my jaw as the flecks of calcium stabbed the sand.

 

"Why so many slips?" The young Vongola Decimo asked, Ryohei slamming down the fistful of fortunes.

 

"My goal is to get as many points as possible." He stated, looking confident in his decision.

 

Reborn fanned them out and held them up to read, a blank expression on his face.

 

"Very bad fortune. Very bad fortune. Very bad fortune. Bad fortune. Very bad fortune. Very bad fortune. Very bad fortune. Bad fortune." He listed, lowering eight of the nine fortunes.

 

"Very good fortune." 

 

Smiles lit up the faces of the Vongola team, the last fortune being the turning point.

 

"Negative 14 points."

 

...Or not.

 

"Yay Ryohei-kun, you got a good one." I smiled, clapping against Takeshi's hand since my other was occupied.

 

"Next Cavallone." 

 

Dino simply looked to his right hand, the moustached man nodding and walking to the fortune crocodile. The animal opened its mouth easily, allowing the man to take the slip, handing it over to the day's judge.

 

"Better fortune. 1 point." The hitman hummed, before turning to the masses.

 

"1 point versus negative 14."

 

Well then, could be worse, I suppose.

 

"Japanese Battledore is next!"

 

By the Lord-!

 

I stared openly at the large, metal bat that had impaled the solid ground, pursing my lips as I withheld my comments.

 

"Ooh, my turn!" Takeshi cheered, freeing himself from his little cradle and taking up the paddle.

 

"E-eh?! Yamamoto-kun, can you lift that!?" Tsuna yelped, watching as the slab of steel was lifted from the ground.

 

"Yeah! They're only 50 kilos, right? About the same as the bat I use for swinging practice." He laughed, giving it an experimental swing.

 

"Takeshi-kun, you be careful with that, remember what I told you." I warned, crossing my arms.

 

"Yes, yes shujin-kun!"

 

Ah, the splutters of confusion and shock that left the once stoic, suited men was music to my ears.

 

"T-ahem!" Dino coughed, thumping his chest. 

 

"Then on our side,  _ Brutus _ !" He called, dropping the suffix to address the Italian man.

 

_ "Okay, Boss." _

 

"Don't run away, boy."

 

Ah, so he can speak Japanese. His accent could use a bit of work, though.

 

"Game face: activate." Ryohei whispered harshly into my ear, pointing at the young Rain who smirked up at the giant.

 

"Jesus Christ, Ryohei-kun." I laughed, trying to smother the laugh that left me with my sleeve.

 

"If you drop the shuttlecock, or knock it outside the court, you lose." Reborn announced, the two proxies getting into their spaces.

 

"So, it's like badminton." Takeshi hummed, bending his knees in preparation. 

 

"The game will be three points, and the winner will receive 20 points. Let's start."

 

The cosplaying hitman brought a whistle to his mouth, blowing it to release a long, shrill note. 

 

The Cavallone proxy was the first to serve, easily tossing the 20kg shuttlecock up and smacking it down to the Rain.

 

"Take tha-Ah!"

 

Brown eyes widened as the steel ball ricocheted off the paddle, the young Yamamoto obviously not realising just how much strength he'd need to change its course. His hand released the slab of metal, letting it fly back and slam into the ground a hair's width from my folded legs.

 

Looking up, I raised an eyebrow at him, meeting panicked eyes as they slowly calmed, instead, falling to sheepish as he threw an apology to me.

 

"Sorry, shujin-kun!"

 

"That could have ended badly, be careful." I hummed, plucking it from the ground.

 

50 kilo's hey?

 

I flipped it in my hand, getting a feel for the paddle, before tossing it one-handedly at the batsman. He stumbled as he caught it, wrapping two lithe hands around the handle and jogging back to his square.

 

Resting my jaw on my hand, I continued to watch, snickering at Tsuna's expense as his face was inked by his home tutor. The gasp of effort and the sound of metal striking metal tore my attention from the comical scene, Takeshi's body hitting the ground and sliding up beside me.

 

"Shit, you okay? That looked like it hurt." I asked, sneaking some Sun Flames into him as I helped him to his knees.

 

"Yeah, thanks." He grinned, no doubt feeling the rush of warmth that came with the healing.

 

"Alright! This is getting fun!"

 

Of course, it is.

 

I sighed as he ran back into the court, hollering reassurance at the Vongola party.

 

"Baseball get's really exciting after two strikes."

 

Oh, shit! Takeshi, this isn't baseball!

 

"The shuttle look's like it's standing-!"

 

"Shujin-kun! Do  _ not  _ home run!" I shouted, letting the title slip through.

 

The Vongola party let out yells of success as the shuttle buried itself in the far corner of the Cavallone court, winning them their first point.

 

"Shit, did I just call Takeshi-kun 'shujin'?" Came my mutter, bringing my hand to my mouth in surprise.

 

"2 to 1, Cavallone wins." Reborn announced, making any happiness they felt, drop in a second.

 

"Shujin-kun!"

 

"Gah!" I yelped, falling back as the young Rain caught me in the stomach.

 

"You called me 'husband'! For the first time!"

 

"W-well, New Years and all. The time for new starts, they say." I laughed pathetically, heaving as he tried to strangle me with a hug.

 

"Vongola Family: negative fourteen points. Cavallone Family: 21 points."

 

"Wow, that's a full 35 points. Have fun getting tha-Mmph!"

 

"Baseball freak! Stop kissing the fucking giant and apologise to the Tenth!" Gokudera yelled, waving his fist at us from above.

 

"A-ah, Gokudera-kun, I think you should leave them alone." Tsuna laughed awkwardly, pulling his raised arm down.

 

"The next battle is over carta!" Reborn declared, waving his fan as suited men laid out the game.

 

"Takeshi-kun, get off me." I grunted, patting him on the back as he continued to nuzzle my shoulder.

 

"Don't wanna."

 

"If you don't, I'll get Ryohei-kun do drop on both of us. You'll be crushed."

 

"I'll be crushed onto you, that's a win in my books."

 

I rolled my eyes, giving up on trying to rid myself of the partner, instead focusing my energy on sitting back up, allowing the Rain to straddle my lap.

 

"Turn around at least, so you can watch the games."

 

I felt him pout, before he manoeuvred himself to rest his back against my chest, grabbing my hands and entwining his fingers with mine with practised ease, much better than compared to when he first tried.

 

"I'm gonna do my best, Tsuna-san!" Haru called, smiling brightly up at the Sky.

 

"O-okay."

 

Jeez, Tsuna, try to reign in your excitement, why don't ya.

 

"I'll be reading the cards, if you win, it'll be 30 points." 

 

"Let's do it!"

 

"Before we start, let's have a drink of tea."

 

"What?!"

 

Oh God.

 

I rolled my eyes as the wait began, turning my attention to the Rain sitting in my lap to pass the time. Dropping my chin on his shoulder, I began to fiddle with the smaller hands in my own, absentmindedly tracing the lines on his palms. 

 

"So, what's your New Year's resolution?" I hummed quietly, the atmosphere feeling like one that needed as little noise as possible.

 

"Hm..." He thought, leaning back further. "To finally use tongue with you."

 

"..." 

 

I blinked slowly at the sly grin on the batter's face, before noticing his slight lean and flicking him on the nose.

 

"You're gonna grow up to be like Shamal-sensei at this rate, shujin-kun." 

 

Biting back laughter, I watched the young Rain bounce in glee at the title, a faint red hue coming to his cheeks. 

 

"Could you two please stop, you're making me sick." Gokudera scowled, glaring down at us.

 

"Aw, you're just jealous, Gokudera-kun." Takeshi laughed, smiling at the Storm.

 

"Why would I be jealous of you and the fucking giant!?"

 

"Okay, let's start." Reborn announced, cutting into the exchange.

 

"Ugh-Ah!" Haru exclaimed, falling forwards into the cards.

 

"It's no use! My legs fell asleep!" 

 

"Vongola, one member out." The Sun Arcobaleno hummed, watching Haru crawl from the carpet.

 

"Damn it! Hey, Lambo-kun, I-pin-chan! If you lose, I won't let you off easy!" The young Storm warned, leaning towards the infants.

 

"I think you struck a nerve." I hummed to the Rain, bringing a hand to fiddle with my earlobe.

 

"Oh, did I?" He replied, sinking into my lap, allowing me to see over his head.

 

"Most likely, you saw the way he responded to your jab."

 

"You think he's actually jealous?" The Rain asked, looking up at me, the top of his head pressing against my sternum.

 

"Hm, maybe. But you  _ have  _ always been popular."

 

"Well, that's too bad then isn't it, I've already been claimed." He laughed, reaching up to thread his hand through my hair.

 

"Eh, did I claim you? I recall you suddenly declaring me yours."

 

"When did I ever do that?" He asked sarcastically, free hand moving in a theatrical manner.

 

"11:45pm on the 28th of April, six years ago." I answered easily.

 

"Wow," He muttered. "You actually remembered that?"

 

"Yeah," I shrugged. "'Cause, why not?"

 

"Aw, you're so cute!" 

 

We turned our attention to the call, sheepish smiles coming to our faces as Kyoko gushed at us, a faint flush on her fair face.

 

I looked up as an explosion went off, the visage of Lambo flying off into the stratosphere greeting me.

 

"So, that leaves I-pin-chan, then." Came my hum, looking down at the small child.

 

"I'm sorry. I-pin-chan is not good at reading hiragana."

 

Never mind, then.

 

"Cavallone Family: 51 points. Vongola Family: negative 14 points."

 

"What do we do? At this rate, we'll really lose!" Tsuna whimpered, looking paler than he usually was.

 

"I'll go next."

 

I paused and looked at Tsuna's face, biting my tongue when I finally scanned it.

 

How did I not notice that face before? Oh my God, Tsuna!

 

Letting out hissed breaths of laughter, I dropped my forehead onto the Rain's shoulder, my own shaking as I tried to reign myself back in.

 

"I will definitely reverse the situation and meet your expectations."

 

"I'm counting on you, Gokudera-kun." He responded, only a little done with the situation handed to him.

 

"Leave it to me!"

 

**...**

 

"Well..done?" I tried, turning my head and squinting slightly.

 

"I'm sorry. I lost."

 

"And you lost in such an odd way!"

 

I gave the Storm a slight smile as he dropped down beside us, looking put out after his failure.

 

"Cavallone Family: 81 points. Vongola Family: negative 14 points."

 

"Ah, it's no good! At this rate, I'll be 100 million yen in debt!" Tsuna cried, drawing his family and I towards him as he fell to his knees dramatically.

 

"I'm sorry Tenth, it's because we're all so worthless." Gokudera apologised, looking rather distraught.

 

"No problem, the real fight starts now." Ryohei hummed, looking sagely.

 

"That's right! We should hit a come-from-behind, game-winning home run!" 

 

"Okay." The young Sky breathed, looking only slightly hopeless now.

 

Reborn turned his head to the kneeling Vongola, flashing him the gleam in his eye that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

 

"We have one more game. A test of strength. The person will have to plank for as long as they can, with two, 100-kilo slabs of concrete on their backs. The one who stays for the longest will win." 

 

I blinked.

 

That sounds neither New Years like, nor Japanese-ey.

 

"Test of strength? Who do we have left to go?" Tsuna asked, turning back to the group.

 

There was silence for a moment, before eight sets of eyes fell on me, each their own level and version of pleading.

 

"I'm not participating."

 

"Please, Yamaguchi-san! I don't want to have to work for my whole life!"

 

"You're Japanese, you'll have to anyway! And besides, one game isn't worth enough to win the whole thing!" I responded, trying to pry the Sky off me.

 

"It is worth 95 poin-"

 

"That is complete and utter  _ bullshit _ , and you know it." I scowled, pointing at the passive baby as he looked off towards the river.

 

"95 points!? That'll make us tie!" Gokudera cheered, before rounding on me as I continued to try and shake off the young Vongola.

 

"You have to do this, fucking giant!"

 

"Say's who?" 

 

"C'mon shujin-kun, it'll be fun!"

 

"EXTREME DAIKI-KUN! BRING US THE EXTREME VICTORY!"

 

I let my jaw drop as they psyched each other up, completely disregarding my attempts to evacuate the immediate vicinity, if not, the country.

 

"If Yamaguchi-san is your pick, then we'll use  _ Damian _ ." Dino hummed, turning as his proxy came forth.

 

I let my face fall deadpan as the brick wall with limbs came stomping towards us, muscles bulging as it nodded in greeting to its boss.

 

_ "Understood Boss.  _ I'll crush this brat."

 

Ooh, English! Haven’t heard that in a while.

 

"Uh huh, great. Well, I'm going home now, bye!" I waved, turning on my heel and preparing to  _ sprint _ .

 

They seemed to be having none of it, however, as three sets of hands grabbed me from various points and threw me back into the game area.

 

I glared openly at all who made eye contact with me as I loosened my obi, dropping the tops of my yukata to reveal an undershirt. Pointedly ignoring Takeshi’s groan of annoyance, I went into position, threading my fingers together just ahead of my nose.

 

"We will now place the first slab on."

 

Bracing my muscles, I took the weight with relative ease, shifting occasionally to fix any discomfort. The bull of a man beside me gave nary a grunt as the second was placed along with mine, making me frown.

 

"Now, for 95 points, we wait." Reborn hummed, pouring himself another cup of tea.

 

I hate the Mafia.

 

**...**

 

"How long have they been there?" Tsuna asked, drawing me out of my musing.

 

"Fifteen minutes." I-pin answered, sitting cross-legged beside the rest of the Vongola Family.

 

"Ryohei-kun, I'm bored." I called, looking up for the first time since the slabs were placed on me.

 

"Hm, let's play Fly Trap." He hummed, laying in front of me, offering his finger to my hands.

 

Releasing my fingers, I waited for him to bring the pointer closer, slapping my hands shut in attempts to catch the digit. 

 

"Too slow."

 

"Shut it, sunshine."

 

Being the simple people we were, this entertained us for a good long while. The rest of the Vongola unit came forward to watch the minigame between us, quietly observing as I caught and missed the Sun.

 

"Okay, we have to stop." I breathed, giving myself another mental boost of energy as I threaded my fingers back again.

 

"H-h-heh! Is the l-little boy getting tired!" The man next to me panted, his arms shaking.

 

"You're in an arguably worse situation than I am, sir." I responded, watching my hands.

 

"L-like hell! Do you even lift!?"

 

"Yes, roughly 300 kilos every morning for the past 9 years. And you?"

 

The wide-eyed expression I caught out of the corner of my eye was more than satisfying as I heard the man scramble for a good response, the sounds of my schoolmates laughing at his expense forcing a smile out of me.

 

_ "Fuck you, kid." _ He scowled, the English words coming out.

 

_ "I'd rather you didn't." _ I hummed lightly, responding to my mother language with ease.

 

There were three things that followed that exchange. First the sounds of the wall-man choking on his spit, then, the heavy  _ 'boom'  _ of 200kgs worth of solid concrete hitting the ground, and finally, the Vongola's cheers of relief as Reborn blew the whistle.

 

"Shujin-kun! You won!" Takeshi hollered, dropping down next to me.

 

"That's great and all, but get this thing off me! I'm about to die!" I heaved, the only thing keeping me up was the dislike for my opponent.

 

"Okay! Ryohei-kun, help me out!"

 

A loud breath of relief left me as I dropped without the weight, rolling my shoulders and doing all the stretches I could while laying on the floor face first.

 

"Yeah, that's all from me. I'm  _ done  _ for the day." I sighed, letting my fellow Sun pick me up off the ground and wrap me in a bone breaking hug.

 

"YOU BROUGHT US AN EXTREME VICTORY!"

 

"Cavallone Family: 81 points. Vongola Family: 81 points." Reborn announced, waving his Leon fan as his eyes gleamed.

 

"Vongola and Cavallone tie."

 

Ah...this...wasn't supposed to happen, was it?

 

Oh, whatever, it’s just a filler episode anyway. I just wanna go to sleep.

 

“Wow, that’s some serious manpower you’ve got there, Tsuna-kun.” Dino laughed, strolling up to us.

 

“Ha-aha, yeah.” The Sky laughed nervously, glancing back at me.

 

“300 kilos, you said, right? Man, your dad must be a monster!”

 

My eyes narrowed slightly, Ryohei tensing up beside me as Takeshi and Kyoko stepped up from behind.

 

“I wouldn’t know, haven’t seen my father in quite a while. From memory, however, I can guess that he wasn’t part of the equation.” I hummed, clipping my tone to show explicit hostility to shut the conversation down.

 

“Oh? Well, my apologies.” He smiled, looking all too pleased with himself.

**...**

 

I sighed as I turned the page of the thick book I was reading, closing it when I decided that I wasn't going to take in any more knowledge that night. Tossing it to the foot of my bed, I turned my attention to the window, blinking when a bird shot past.

 

Ah, yeah. I should do that.

 

Reaching for my bedside table, I grabbed my phone, flipping it open and selecting the number I wanted.

 

_ To: Cloud _

_ Happy New Years, birdy. _

 

There was a pause, then a buzz.

 

_ From: Cloud _

_ Happy New Years, handler. _

 

A slight smile touched my face as I closed the device, leaning back against the headboard.

 

Almost 16. Almost 16 years of being Yamaguchi Daiki.

* * *

 

“Uh, hello?” I yawned, laying back down in my bed as I balanced my phone on the side of my head.

 

_ “Shujin-kun! Let’s go on a date!” _

 

“Hm, okay, sure. Where to, Takeshi-kun?”

 

_ “The zoo! It’ll be fun! Reborn-san’s already got us tickets, isn’t that cool!” _

 

“Okay, when should I come pick you up?”

 

_ “In half an hour! The park’s only just opened, so we wanna get in before the crowd strikes up.” _

 

“Will do, see you then.”

 

“ _ Kay, love you! _ ”

 

“Yep, love you too.”

 

I blinked sleepily at the far wall as my phone slid down my face, the talking jostling it off balance. It was warm in my bed, and the slight condensation on my window was less than inviting.

 

Half an hour he said, Namimori Animal Park is roughly a fifteen minute bus drive from the stop down the road from TakeSushi. It’s a ten minute walk between the bakery and the sushi restaurant, so that gives me...five minutes to get my ass out of bed, tell Kaede, eat and all that jazz.

 

I sighed and looked to the clock, my eyes widening and my jaw dropping.

 

I had spent fifteen minutes working that out…

 

“Fuck!”

* * *

 

**|Y.T|**

 

He was late.

 

"Come on Takeshi-kun, give him a break. He's only three minutes late, better than I was when I was dating your mum." Tsuyoshi laughed behind the counter, sending his knife flying easily through a slab of fish.

 

"But he's late," Takeshi muttered, crossing his arms. "To our first date of the year."

 

"Wasn't it going with you and the others to the river?"

 

"It was with the others, it doesn't count."

 

There was silence for a moment, before the Rain's father put down his knife and looked at him fully, a sober expression on his face.

 

"Takeshi-kun, I've been wondering," He started, making his son turn to him. "Are you serious, with Daiki-kun? I mean, I hear you go around calling him husband."

 

"Yep." Takeshi answered easily, smiling at his father without restraint.

 

"He's even higher on my list than baseball! And guess what? He called me  _ 'shujin-kun'  _ at the river!"

 

The sushi chef watched in silence as his son acted like a schoolgirl with a crush, kicking his long legs as he squealed loudly.

 

"So, you plan on staying with him?"

 

"Of course, I plan on staying with him for as long as I live. And after too!"  

 

Despite the jovial laughter in his voice, he meant every word he spoke. The young Rain wouldn't have spent six years refining their relationship if he wasn't serious about being with the older boy. The idea of leaving him hurt more than he'd care to admit to someone other than the source.

 

"And what will you do if Daiki-kun decides to move on?"

 

A strike of panic hit the young Yamamoto before worry dulled it down, making him quiet and frown slightly.

 

What  _ could  _ he do if Daiki decides to end it? As far as he was aware, nothing short of chaining him up, but even then, he'd no doubt be able to free himself, and as a result have a rather strong dislike for the young Rain.

 

_ "Sorry, I'm late!"  _

 

Both of the Yamamoto men looked up as their subject of conversation burst into the shop, panting from the run he had made.

 

"Shujin-kun!" The young Rain called, leaping from the bench and wrapping his arms around the elder boy's neck.

 

"Good morning Takeshi-kun, morning Tsuyoshi-tou-san."

 

"Morning Daiki-kun, cutting it pretty close today." The chef laughed, leaning against the counter.

 

"Sorry, Lambo-kun set kaa-san's flowers on fire so I had to put them out." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

The young Rain watched the exchange with a light hearted smile, thoroughly enjoying the way the two men addressed each other.

 

"Almost your birthday, isn't it? Are you going to have a party? You didn't last year." His father hummed, drawing the youngest out of his musing.

 

"Yeah, what do you want for your birthday?" Takeshi asked, grabbing hold of the other's hand despite the loud cough that left his father.

 

"I don-"

 

"If you say that, I swear to God, I will buy you either a ball gag or a collar." He warned, already anticipating the cursed response.

 

"Wha- _ AHEM _ !" Tsuyoshi heaved, thumping his chest as Daiki let out nervous laughter.

 

"A-ah, don't do that." He tried, looking genuinely frightened as he glanced at the fiery-eyed father.

 

"Then tell me!"

 

"Um...We'll figure it out at the Animal Park! Let's go before we miss that bus! Bye, Tsuyoshi-tou-san!" The blue haired boy yelped, gripping his fiance's hand tighter and running out of the shop, closing the door behind them just in time to let a knife thwack against the wood.

 

"I swear," Daiki sighed as they boarded the crowded bus. "It's like you  _ want  _ your father to kill me."

 

"Oh, don't be silly. Tou-san loves you!" Takeshi laughed, shifting slightly as someone passed to get off the bus.

 

"He threw a sushi knife at me."

 

"Only because he cares."

 

The Rain laughed as his partner rolled his eyes in exasperation, stepping forwards again as another needed to move to the front doors.

 

"Jeez, this bus is cramped. I thought you said by taking the early bus, we'd miss the crowds." The taller boy hummed, drawing the smaller closer as another group of people squeezed on.

 

"I said we'd miss the crowds at the park, never mentioned the way there. Besides, it's not that bad." 

 

The blue haired boy rolled his eyes as his younger partner dropped his head on his shoulder, using him as balance. The Rain hummed slightly when Daiki put one of his earphones in his ear, placing the other in his own, quiet jazz acting as their background music for the bus ride.

 

"I see you still like to listen to elevator music." He breathed, digging his fingers into the elder boy's arm as the bus came to another jolting halt.

 

"Oh hush, don't judge my music, I won't judge your's."

 

"My music is great, thanks."

 

"You listen to Youtube baseball remixes."

 

"And they're great."

 

The young Rain blinked when the smile on the taller boy's face suddenly dropped, amber-earth eyes sharpening as it locked on something just behind his shoulder. His breath hitched when the elder boy turned his attention back to him, tipping his head until their foreheads touched.

 

"Hey, swap places with me." He whispered quietly, swiping his eyes to the side as if keeping watch on something.

 

"Huh? Why?"

 

"No time, swap now." The elder boy responded, placing a hand on his waist and in a surprisingly swift motion, placed Takeshi's back against the door and his own against the crowd.

 

The Rain's eye too sharpened when he saw his partner's arm disappear behind him, and a man standing just past paling beyond healthy as he tried to pry away his wrist.

 

"Hands to yourself, isn't that what our teachers always told us?" The taller boy hummed down at the smaller white collar, his smile too sharp to be friendly.

 

" _ We are now in front of Namimori Animal Park. We are now in front of Namimori Animal Park." _ The automated voice crackled, making Daiki release the man.

 

"C'mon shujin-kun," Takeshi laughed, watching the man splutter. "It's our stop."

 

"Coming, shujin-kun." He responded, making his partner flush as they stepped off.

 

"You have to call me that more often, now." The young Rain hummed, linking hands with the other.

 

"It does seem to make you happy." He commented, handing in their tickets to the girl at the front, who giggled with her co-worker when they spotted the connection.

 

"Have fun on your date, you two!" They cooed, making Takeshi laugh loudly.

 

"So, where do want to go first?" Daiki asked, the two of them standing in the lobby as they grabbed a map.

 

"Hm...Let's go see the bats."

 

"..." 

 

Takeshi didn't even try to fight down the smile that threatened to tear his face as his fiance slowly turned to him with the most done face he had ever seen.

 

"What?" He laughed, taking a step back in caution.

 

"... _ Fine _ . Let's go see the  _ bats _ , Takeshi-kun." Daiki smiled, the edges sharp as he grabbed hold of his partner and all but towed him to the nocturnal section.

**...**

The Rain watched his husband-to-be as the older boy stared down a bat, the night-dwelling creature refusing to respond to its playful companion and instead focus all its wide-eyed attention on the human watching it.

 

"Daiki-kun? Do...Do you want to move on now?" He asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

 

"I will  _ win _ ."

 

"Sure."

 

...

 

The bat blinked.

 

"Ha!" Daiki laughed, standing back straight as the bat seemed to sulk.

 

"Okay, now we can go." The baker's son nodded, walking further down the tunnel.

 

"Bye guys. You'll do better next time." Takeshi cooed, waving at the pouting nocturnal, before following after his victorious partner.

 

Reaching out, the younger boy snagged hold of Daiki's hand, linking their fingers as they continued walking through the mostly vacant section, pausing occasionally to peer into enclosures. 

 

"Oh my God, is that a platypus?" Daiki suddenly asked, snapping his head to the side.

 

"A what?"

 

"It's a platypus!" He squealed, dragging them over to the submerged enclosure to see a swimming animal.

 

Takeshi squinted at it in incredulity, the weird creature paddling around the water happily.

 

"What the hell is  _ that _ ?" He asked, placing his hand on his knees to lean forwards like Daiki to see it better.

 

"A platypus, it's native to Australia."

 

"That...can't be real."

 

"Why not? It's right in front of you! Look at its cute little flippers!" Daiki cooed, wiggling his pointer at the four feet.

 

"That's why it can't be real!" The Rain exclaimed, mimicking his partner's point.

 

"It has the beak and feet of a  _ duck  _ and the body of a  _ beaver _ !"

 

"It also lays eggs and produces milk." The other continued, laughing when the alien  _ thing  _ twirled for them.

 

"Monotremes, my dearest Takeshi-kun. Echidnas and spiny anteaters are the only others that fit into that part of the kingdom. Can only find them in Australia. Aw, it’s waving to you!"

 

"I don't want it to wave at me! I want it to make sense!" Takeshi pouted, narrowing his eyes when the egg-laying mammal tapped the glass with its...beak.

 

"Also, why do you know this?"

 

"Hours of the downward spiral that is the internet."

 

"Huh." The Rain hummed, before following his partner in watching the platypus dance.

 

"After you get over how it defies the laws of nature and normality, I guess it does get pretty cute."

 

"The males are also venomous."

 

"What!?"

 

"Let's go see the elephants!" 

 

"Wait, Daiki-kun, they're  _ venomous _ !?"

 

**…**

"So," Takeshi hummed as he took another lick of his ice cream, despite the chilling wind. "The opposite of 'nocturnal' is 'diurnal'?" 

 

"Yep, and the term for animals active during twilight is 'crepuscular'." Daiki responded, catching a drip trail with his tongue.

 

The two boys had been to the entire southern part of the animal park, and were taking the opportunity to rest, replenishing their stores through partaking in some ice cream. They had agreed on getting two different kinds, Daiki green tea and Takeshi vanilla, so that if either preferred the other, they could exchange.

 

"Why do you know this stuff?" The Rain laughed, finding the amount of information stored in his partner's head ridiculous.

 

"I remember stuff that will in no way further my life. It's a curse, really."

 

The young Yamamoto paused when he saw the older boy go in for another taste, before letting a less than innocent smile come to his face. Moving before the Yamaguchi boy could react, he dove in and licked away a small chunk of the green tea flavour, not-so-accidentally sliding his tongue up beside the others'. As he retracted, he gave the stunned boy a self-satisfied smile.

 

"Tastes good." 

 

He fought down laughter as the blue haired boy gawked at him, mind visibly crashing as his ice cream tipped dangerously in his loose grip. 

 

The young Yamaguchi didn't stall for long, it seemed, for he suddenly sat straight, cone back in safe territory. He turned fully to the smirking Rain, his own humoured one showing.

 

"You've made a mess of yourself, sweetheart." He chuckled, making the Yamamoto reach up, flushing when he felt the wetness of green tea ice cream on the corner of his mouth.

 

With his attention turned to the messiness of his face, the Rain didn't notice the other encroaching in on his space until he felt a calloused hand on the opposite side of his face. He didn't even get a chance to turn, before his hand was removed and a warm muscle replaced it, cleaning away the pale green cream. 

 

Takeshi gave a loud yelp as his partner pressed the pad of his thumb into his sensitive side, allowing the other's appendage to slip inside. The Rain wondered how long he could last before his brain would shut down from the waves of heat hitting him, the winter not seeming quite as cold as he remembered it.

 

It didn't last that long, however, for the baker's son only ghosted past the other's tongue once with his own, before pulling back and giving the Rain a simple peck on the lips.

 

"All clean now." He hummed, before returning to his watering, frozen treat.

 

The young Rain open and closed his mouth silently, brain too high on dopamine to form their common language. An airy breath left him as he gave up trying, instead, moving till there was no space between his and Daiki's bodies, their hands threading together on the older boy's lap.

 

"Fine, you win that one." He muttered, pouting as the blue haired boy bent to nuzzle into the crook of his neck.

 

"Of course I do." The Yamaguchi son hummed, making the younger involuntarily shiver from the vibrations.

 

"And hey," He breathed, tilting his head to look up at his smaller partner. "New Year's resolution, complete."

 

"Aw yeah!" Takeshi fist pumped, a grin on his face.

 

The two boys laughed, before scrambling to save their dripping sweets, fingers and palms sticky from the melting sugar.

 

"Ack! Brain freeze!"

**|Y.T|**

* * *

 

 

I leaned against the railing of the crocodile enclosure as I waited for the young Rain to return from the bathroom, watching the green scaled reptile lazily sunbake on its manmade bank.

 

"Daiki-kun!"

 

Looking away from slitted eyes, I raised my hand when I spotted the approaching Yamamoto, letting it wrap around his waist when he all but collided with me.

 

"Where to next?" I asked, pulling the folded map out of my pocket.

 

"Actually, we're meant to meet up with Reborn-san now. The others are around the zoo, so they'll be there too! C'mon!" He laughed, grabbing my wrist and towing me towards the lion enclosures.

 

A frown tugged at my lips as the familiar sounds of explosions reached my ears, a loud groan following as even more familiar roars came after. The Rain seemed to be enjoying the impending chaos, however, as he picked up his speed.

**...**

We slowed slightly as a small group came into view, a wave of confusion hitting me as I squinted at the horizon.

 

"Are those lions Gokudera-san is carrying?"

 

"Wow, I think so! Cool!"

 

"Oh look, he fainted."

 

"Haha, Bianchi-san must be here, too! Yo!" He called, coming to a halt as we reached the gathering.

 

"You guys are wildly playing around again, huh?"

 

I sighed in sympathy for the young Vongola as the others appeared from the woodwork, the boy's expression becoming more and more alarmed.

 

"You're all here!? Why in the world!?" He yelped, throwing his head back and forth.

 

"What do you mean 'why'?" Bianchi asked, standing from her immobilised ingredient. "We've all come for your sake."

 

"I called them here." Reborn called from the side, drawing attention to him.

 

I bit the inside of my cheek as my eyes landed on him, donned in his Master Pao Pao get-up and riding...

 

"He's riding a hippopotamus. Why is he riding a hippopotamus?" I asked, squinting as if it'd change the scene before me.

 

"Why are platypuses venomous?" Takeshi shot back, still not believing the pieces of information I had given him that morning.

 

"It's an evolutionary trait," I responded, before pointing at the strange duo. " _ That _ , is not an evolutionary trait."

 

"Ciaossu!"

 

"Reborn-san!"

 

"Master Pao Pao!" 

 

Ryohei, Ryohei, you sweet, innocent child, why are you still fooled by that disguise? He literally has a watering can on his head.

 

"I thought you should have a partner-pet like Leon or Enzo." The baby announced, looking up at his student.

 

"D-don't tell me that it's going to be that hippo."

 

Oh yes, of course, because Nana would absolutely love to have that in her house.

 

"No. This is my new friend, Saizo-kun the hippo."

 

I wonder, was Reborn like this when he had an adult's body? Because if so, I may just laugh myself to death. Imagine that? A fully grown Reborn walking up to you with a watering can elephant hat as a disguise.

 

A snicker left me before I could hold it back.

 

"I asked everyone to pick out an animal that suited you."

 

"Don't do this kind of thing when it's convenient to you!" Tsuna exclaimed, looking more than a bit aggravated.

 

"It wasn't really convenient." Haru chirped, drawing attention. "Our schedules didn't match, so we took the time to meet here."

 

As the young Vongola's heart was crushed, I turned my focus on my younger partner.

 

"Hm, what animal do you think suits Sawada-san?" 

 

He blinked up at me before humming in thought.

 

"Uh… A tuna!"

 

I couldn't help the amazingly attractive snort that left me as the words hit my ears, Takeshi's whining and gentle thumps on my shoulder barely registering as I heaved quietly.

 

"Shoosh, or they'll ask!" He hissed into my ear, pulling my arms to try and hush me.

 

"Yamaguchi-san." A quiet call came, making me look down at our feet where the cosplaying Reborn stood.

 

"Hello, Master Pao Pao." I smiled, snickers still slipping out.

 

"In a moment, I would like you to do something for me. I think you're the only one with enough muscle power to do this."

 

I listened to his request, nodding in acceptance as he turned and jumped into his companion.

 

"You seemed much more dependable!" Kyoko announced, a bright shine in her eyes.

 

"So, moving on."

 

Stepping up, I grabbed hold of the lion that laid on the ground, lifting it up and carefully draped it over the Vongola's shoulders, sparking a rather amusing reaction.

 

"I don't need it! I don't need it, I say!" He yelped, just barely auditable over the other's laughter.

 

"Wait, if the only thing that was broken was the lion's cage. Then why is the hippo here?"

 

I blinked as Reborn and the large animal began communicating, tilting my head as the baby hitman responded to its grunts with ease.

 

"Am I the only one confused by this?" I asked, glancing around at the other teens.

 

"Nope." Tsuna responded, blinking as well.

 

"Hi, by the way."

 

"Ah, yeah, hello Yamaguchi-san."

 

"Oh, you didn't know? Reborn-kun is actually the authority on animal and insect language." Bianchi hummed, placing a hand on her hip.

 

"And I can speak alien and subterranean." 

 

"Really?!"

 

"No, I lied. But knowing the animal and insect language is true."

 

I pursed my lips as I listened to Reborn recount the events of the day, slowly turning my gaze to Lambo as the fact that he was the one to free the animals came to light.

 

"So, it's Lambo-kun's fault!?"

 

"I-I have to be somewhere...Bye-Oops!" 

 

"Lambo-kun." I warned, looking down at the little cow after he bounced off my legs.

 

"A-ah, Daiki-san!" He gulped, before reaching into his afro and pulling out a bright pink grenade.

 

"You can't see me!" He yelled taking out the pin.

 

My eyes widened and I threw myself back, crossing my arms in front of my face to stop any shrapnel from hitting me. A scowl came to mar my face when the smoke cleared to reveal an empty space, showing that Lambo had made a run for it, taking I-pin with him.

 

"Yamaguchi-san!"

 

"Shujin-kun! Are you okay!?"

 

"Yeah, just a few abrasions!" I called back, dusting myself off. 

 

"The animals are at the amusement park, this one was left behind because he was too slow." Reborn announced, standing next to a king cobra.

 

"The amusement park!?"

 

On cue, screams hit our ears at once, the sounds of utter chaos reaching us all the way from the park next door.

 

"That's the amusement park!" Kyoko gasped, worry clear on her face.

 

"We need to get the animals back in their cages." Tsuna yelped, looking just as panicked.

 

"That's your job, Dame-Tsuna." The baby hitman responded.

 

"Why!?"

 

"Oh, come on!" I growled, taking off in the direction of the park.

 

Lambo and I-pin are in there probably causing more trouble than there needs to be, I need to get them out before any of the more deadly animals find them.

 

"There you are!" I snapped, coming to a halt in front of the two TYL teens.

 

"Okay, while you two have  _ some _ sort of restraint, get yourselves out of the park and somewhere safe."

 

"But, the noodles!"

 

"Now, I-pin-chan! Lambo-kun, get her out of here!"

 

"Okay, Papa." He nodded, grabbing his peer by her hand and running the two of them out of the gates.

 

With the main problem gone, I turned my attention to the next most pressing matter, scowling as a penguin tottered over my foot. 

 

Why, oh why, did Lambo have grenades!?

 

"Yamaguchi-san, where are Lambo-kun and I-pin-chan!?" Tsuna called, coming to a halt behind me.

 

"I've sent them on to somewhere safe."

 

"Ki-nii! We need to catch the penguins!" Kyoko piped up, scrambling to try and herd the black and white birds.

 

Shaking my head in aggravation, I turned and ran to the loudest source of noise, groaning when I saw a bunch of meerkats burrowing into the sandpit, children reaching out from their parents' arms to try and touch the cute looking animals.

 

"This is going to be a long day." I sighed, rolling up my sleeves.

 

My attempts to catch them were similar to that of whack-a-mole, the burrowing creatures ducking into their tunnels when my hands came close. After a few minutes of making a fool of myself, I gave and caved in the fragile network, bundling up the five creatures in my hoodie before chasing the fleeing animals out of the park.

 

Dropping the meerkats back into their enclosure, I shook out my jacket, little hairs and sand coming loose from the dark blue fibres. With one last look around, I nodded when I saw all the animals rounded up into their places, and jogged up to the zoo gates.

 

"Daiki-kun!"

 

Looking over my shoulder, I slowed to allow the young Yamamoto to catch up with me.

 

"Hey, I saw you riding an elephant back there." I laughed, glancing up when I saw the familiar visage of a flaming Tsuna.

 

"Yeah! It was so cool! But thank God the platypus didn't get out. How bad is their venom, exactly?"

 

"Their venom?" I repeated, before smiling. "Oh, it can kill you."

 

"Jesus!" He yelped, his steps faltering slightly.

**…**

"Well, how was that for a zoo day?" I hummed, tucking my hands into my pockets as I looked over the younger teens.

 

"I'm beat." Tsuna groaned, clad in a Namimori Zoo staff uniform.

 

"It's good that the staff were nice enough to give you some clothes, hey Tsuna-san?" Takeshi hummed, stepping up beside me.

 

"Yeah, I guess."

 

I blinked when a flash of red caught my attention, making me look down at my feet. My face fell deadpan when I saw the famous red panda sitting at our feet, Reborn happily perched atop his head.

 

"Uh...Guys? We have a problem." I called, pointing to the duo.

 

"Aah! We have to give him back!"

 

Patting the young Vongola's back, I gave him a sympathetic smile as the others laughed, the boy drooping in defeat.

 

Poor kid.

 

Wait, where was Ryohei?

* * *

 

_ Boom! _

 

A loud yelp left me as I fell from my bed, loud vibrations rocking the room from below.

 

"What the hell?" I mumbled, rubbing my face.

 

Did an explosion wake me-  _ Explosion!? _

 

Grunting, I pulled myself to my feet and dashed into the hall. Skipping steps at a time, I dropped and flung the living room door open.

 

"Lambo-kun! If you've blown up my cactus because it pricked you, again I swear to God I'll-"

 

"Happy Birthday!"

 

...

 

What?

 

"What?"

 

"Happy birthday, shujin-kun!" Takeshi hollered, leaping off the couch and flooring both of us.

 

"Oh God, ow." I groaned, rubbing the back of my head.

 

"Birthday? Wha-Oh." 

 

Blinking, I looked over at the calendar, squinting through sleep blurry eyes as I read the number.

 

Oh, January 21st...

 

"Ew, I'm 16."

 

"Happy birthday, my little man!" Kaede cheered, all but floating into the room, arms open to hug me as I pulled myself and my partner to our feet.

 

"Kaa-san, is everything alright? Did Lambo-kun blow something up?" I asked, spinning her around to check for anything above an abrasion.

 

"Ah, sorry, that was me." Gokudera grunted, crossing his arms from beside the young Vongola.

 

"Why are you all here?" Came my question, looking down at the small...okay, not so small group.

 

"Happy birthday!" Came varying volumes and enthusiasms.

 

I stared blankly at the sizable number of people crammed into my living room, the entire Vongola squad- so far- and their adult companions sat or stood in the space, their expressions matching their characters. 

 

"Uh..thanks? What time is it?" I asked, turning to the clock.

 

"Why the hell is it 1:42 in the afternoon!?"

 

"Kaede-kaa-chan wanted to give us time to set up for you, so she let you sleep in! We actually didn't know you'd sleep for so long, what woke you up?" The Rain laughed, pulling me over to the couch.

 

"The explosion that shook my room." I responded, giving the hurricane bomber a side eye.

 

"Haha! That sounds like fun!"

 

"It really wasn't, I had a heart attack."

 

"Now that the guest of honour is here," Reborn chirped from his position on the opposite couch. "We can begin the presentation of gifts."

 

"Wait, so you guys are having my birthday party?"

 

"Yeah!" Takeshi laughed, 

 

"How did you even know the date? I didn't tell, like, three-quarters of you."

 

"Sasagawa-san and Yamamoto-kun." The chorused, making the two boys smile sheepishly.

 

"Of course." I sighed, slumping slightly.

 

I shifted myself into a comfortable position on the couch as people went to collect their surprisingly brightly wrapped boxes, raising an eyebrow as Takeshi dropped down next to me with a rather strange and large looking parcel in his arms. Once the others were seated again, offerings in their laps or on the floor in front of them, Kaede and the lady Sawada came back into the living room, a camera positioned in her fingers.

 

“Kaa-san, Nana-san, are you recording this, or taking a picture?”

 

“Recording, there’s a gift we really want to see your reaction to, and be able to play it back numerous times.”

 

Giving a yielding sigh, I turned back to the group, accepting the small parcel from Bianchi, trying not to be awkward.

 

"Thank you, Bianchi-san."

 

And failing miserably. 

 

"No problem."

 

Gently prying the purple paper open, I tilted my head when I saw a small vile of yellowed liquid, the bottle no bigger than my palm. Holding it to the light, I tried to figure out what it was, before scrambling to catch a small slip of paper that fell from the bottom.

 

"Cobra Venom!?" I yelped, shifting my grip from full hand to two fingers and laying the bottle back into its padded box.

 

"Yes, the cobra's venom contains postsynaptic neurotoxins that-" Bianchi started, only to hush as I accidentally let my tongue fly.

 

"That spread through the blood and cause respiratory failure, and ultimately death, in as little as 30 minutes."

 

"That is correct. If incorporated into your baked goods, it would do well for an assassination or hit. Happy Birthday." She nodded, not seeming the least bit miffed by the cutoff, waving off my sheepish apology.

 

"Hm, that's a good idea, Bianchi-chan." Reborn hummed, making the young Vongola squeak in alarm. 

 

“Next is me!” Shamal sang, appearing behind me and draping his arm over my shoulder, hand hovering dangerously close to a no-zone.

 

“Happy birthday, Yamaguchi-chan!”

 

Oh, that little- _ WHAT!? _

 

“What is this BDSM bullshit!?” I yelped, dropping the R18+ magazine like it burnt.

 

“You’re a  _ growing boy,  _ Yamaguchi-chan. You’re gonna start feeling certain urges, and as your devoted school nurse, I’m providing you the relief of pain from any  _ build up. _ ”

 

I pursed my lips, nodding slightly as I rolled up the unnecessarily thick erotic literature. Spinning around, I packed strength into my arm and let the glossy paper collide with the older man’s face, finding satisfaction in the noise that resounded as he hit the wall.

 

“What’s BDSM? Is it EXTREME!?” Ryohei roared, getting to his feet and reaching for the paper in my hand.

 

“Nope! Bro, you sit your ass down and remain the innocent ray of sunshine that you are.” I responded, pushing him back into the floor beside his sister who looked equally as clueless.

 

“Ki-nii, is it something bad?” Kyoko asked, blinking up at me.

 

“Too early." I huffed simply, before dropping back down on the couch, shoving the magazine under my cushion. “We’ve finished that conversation now, continuing on!”

 

"I'll go next, then, Happy Birthday, ya fuckin’ giant.” Gokudera scowled, tossing his gift at me.

 

“I don’t really know you well enough to know what you’d want, so I just grabbed something random from the store. Don’t complain!”

 

Catching the little paper bag, I upturned it and caught the textured present in my palm. The dark, wooden bead bracelet was light in my grip, a soft perfume scenting them pleasantly. Gently pinching the wooden orbs between my fingers, I rolled the beaded string carefully before slipping it onto my wrist, doubling it over to make it fit.

 

“Thank’s, little one. It’s lovely.” I smiled, already feeling the habit of rolling the beads on my wrist forming.

 

“Pfft, whatever. You’re too easy to please.” He puffed, crossing his arms.

 

Bringing the gift to my nose, I inhaled the smell, trying to place where I had scented it before. It was familiar in an older fashion, past this current life, and reaching past the plains of this world. When no hints came to mind, I let a small smile slip past me, nostalgic in its outward appearance, but somehow sad underneath, a part of me finding it better that I couldn’t connect it.

 

“Eh? Does it smell good?” Takeshi asked, crawling over to my side slightly and pressing his nose flat against my wrist.

 

“Haha, what are you trying to smell like that?” I laughed, withdrawing the limb slightly to give the air some space.

 

“Oh wow, it’s really nice!”

 

“I know, right? Gokudera-san’s got a good eye for last minute gifts.”

 

The two of us snickered as the said boy flushed a little at the attention, scowl coming back to life as he called for the offering ceremony to continue.

 

"EXTREME BIRTHDAY, MY EXTREME BROTHER!" 

 

I deny ever jumping at the yell, to the day I die.

 

"A-Ah, thanks Ryohei-kun." Came my response, holding my hands out to accept the metre by metre box.

 

Tilting my head, I tried to figure out what was contained within, placing my ear on it and giving the cube a shake. The heavy and slightly metallic noise that emanated from inside didn’t really help me, the main hint coming after I pouted at it.

 

“Give it ‘ere, it can’t be that hard to g- _ God and Jesus! _ ” Gokudera yelped, his hands hitting the ground with the box pinning them easily.

 

“Heavy! Heavy! Heavy!” He shouted, prying his fingers out from under and shaking them.

 

“How much does that weigh!? 300 kilo’s!?”

 

“No! An EXTREME 400 KILOGRAMS!” The Sun declared, fire in his eyes.

 

I narrowed my eyes at the box, before lifting it up onto my lap with the expected trouble, making the more emotive people in the room choke on their spit. Having enough of the guessing games, I tore through the brightly coloured paper and revealed the gifts inside, feeling just about ready to kick myself when I saw the contents.

 

“Weights! Of course, I’m so dumb!” I barked, slapping my forehead.

 

Reaching in, I pulled out the biggest weight, flipping it to read the little white font on the side.

 

“Damn, 200 kilos.” I hummed, flashing back to the Vongola Family Battle.

 

“Yep, you’ve gotten stronger so we need to EXTREMELY step up your work load!”

 

“Sounds about right, thanks Ryohei-kun.” Responding to the high-five offered to me.

 

A vibration in my pocket made me jump, my hand flying to the device and pulling it out to display the message on screen.

 

_ From: Cloud _

_ Happy Birthday, Chattering Herbivore. _

_ I can’t be bothered getting you a gift. _

_ I just won’t bite you to death today. _

 

I couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled out of me, Takeshi smiling into my shoulder as he read over it.

 

_ To: Cloud _

_ Thank you, birdie. _

_ How very thoughtful of you, I’ll be sure to cause as much mayhem as I can today. _

 

_ From: Cloud _

_ Just try it. _

_ I’ll bite you tomorrow if you do. _

 

“Sorry ‘bout that, Hibari-san was just wishing me a happy birthday, please, continue.”

 

“Time for Sawada-san to present his EXTREME present!”

 

I blinked at the declaration, before shrugging and turning to the startled boy, accepting the oddly shaped parcel.

 

“U-uh, I didn’t really know what to get you so- I asked Sasagawa-san what you might like and...”

 

“Hahahahaha! Oh my God, why!? Hahaha!” I heaved, clutching the black, fluffy, nocturnal thumb-sized doll in my hand.

 

“Ah, w-was it a bad idea?” Tsuna whimpered, backing away as I held the bat up to my eyeline, brown pins staring back at me.

 

“No, no, it’s just an inside joke. Thanks, Sawada-san, damn that gave me a laugh.” I chuckled, giving the boy a grin.

 

He gave me a sheepish smile, looking a bit more comfortable than he had before, finally settling in his seat beside the pale haired Italian teen.

 

We all turned our attention when Haru jumped from her seat on the floor, stepping up in front of me and shooting a smile that made Takeshi shift from beside me, a less than sociable on his own face.

 

“Happy birthday, Yamaguchi-kun!” She cooed, handing the wrapped item to me with both hands.

 

I took it graciously, tapping it with the tips of my finger as the Rain looked over my shoulder, a hand noticeably on my thigh to boost him up.

 

“Ah! A romance book!” He commented, taking it out of my hands and reading the blurb quickly, the hand on my leg gripping the pants tighter.

 

“Thank you, Haru-san, I’ll be sure to read it as soon as possible.” I hummed, pinching it back and yanking the supporting arm out of under the young Yamamoto, making him fall across my lap.

 

“Okay, Takeshi-kun, give Daiki-kun your present!” Kaede giggled from behind the camera, Nana practically bouncing on her feet.

 

“Yeah! Here you go, shujin-kun!” He nodded, sitting up and handing me the suspiciously shaped item.

 

Taking it in my hands, I found it ridiculously light, meaning it wasn’t solid like Ryohei’s gift. The brightly and brutally wrapped gift was easily the largest one out of the haul, and seemed to have organic shape, rather than sharp angles and edges. A gentle squeeze showed it was soft all the way around, and gave easily under pressure but had a certain firmness, that hinted to well compacted insides similar to cloth or stuffing.

 

“You can tear the paper to shreds, by the way. It’s already pretty-what would you say?- crude?” The Rain laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

 

With the green light given to me, I gave no hesitation to hook my blunted nails on a kink in the brightly coloured armour, and use it as leverage to rip a long rivet through the layer.

 

“Yes!” I all but shrieked, grabbing the Rain and practically crushing the poor soul in my arms.

 

“You gave me a  _ giant platypus _ ! By the Gods, I love you!”

 

Releasing the heaving boy, I snapped up the fluffy creature and bodily wrapped myself around it, tucking my chin atop its head with the most content of expressions on my face.

 

“What is that?” Tsuna yelped, looking at the creature within my limbs with an expression of mild terror.

 

“A platypus.” I hummed, eyes still narrowed in satisfaction.

 

“I take it you like it?” Takeshi laughed, breathing steady now.

 

Giving the Guardian no warning, I snagged him by his collar and planted my lips on his, just barely aware of the flash going off on the mother's camera. It lasted for only a short while, but the joyous expression on his face told me it had done its job of transferring my current emotion over to my partner.

 

“Haha, okay lucky last!” Kyoko cooed, still a giggling mess from the scene before.

 

Grabbing a particularly thick parcel from behind her, she handed me it in the same paper Ryohei used, for obvious reasons.

 

Reaching around my  _ platypus _ I took it carefully, thanking her as I opened it with much more grace than I did for Takeshi’s tilting my head when I saw the English word  _ “Photo Album”  _ printed at the front.

 

The first few pages were filled with pictures of things that I didn’t even remember happening, a laugh bubbling out of me when I saw my six-year-old self shoving a rather large chunk of ice down the front of Ryohei’s pants.

 

“Thank you, imouto-chan.” I hummed, pressing my lips to her temple, making her laugh and push me off gently.

 

Placing the book in the middle of our crude circle, we all began flipping through the images dating from when I first met Ryohei to the current day, one image including Ryohei preparing to leap at me from the ceiling fan in preschool.

 

“Haha, I remember doing that! I was EXTREME even then!”

 

“You were BATS crazy! The fan was  _ on!” _

 

The giggling that burst from the two young girls in the room made us pause, their hands covering their mouths politely.

 

“Haha, it seems like Ki-nii has got his own catchphrase now!” Our younger sister breathed through her fit, looking up at me with a certain light in her eye.

 

“Shit!” I yelped, realising what I had said.

 

“Yamaguchi Daiki.” Kaede warned, crossing her arms.

 

“Sorry, ‘ _ sugar _ ’.” I ‘amended’, somewhat censoring myself.

 

The two mothers nodded before filtering into the kitchen, tittering about sharing the video and accompanying photos.

 

_ “HAHAHA! LAMBO-SAN WILL EAT ALL THE BIRTHDAY CAKE AND ALL THE SWEETS!” _

 

The screech made us all look to the window sill, where I-pin was just barely keeping Lambo from bulldozing into the kitchen where the food was no doubt stored.

 

“Lambo-kun will not eat the Yamaguchi cake!” I-pin tried, pushing him from the sill and onto the floor.

 

“Ah! I-pin-chan is sorry!”

 

“Gotta...stay...calm! Waa!”

 

My eyes widened as a familiar purple firearm was pulled free from the hammerspace that the boy’s afro contained, others sharing more vocal reactions as the gun was sent flying. Giving a scowl, I grabbed the young Rain and bodily threw us off the couch. A grunt escaped both of us as we hit the ground, my eyes widening in shock as I saw the bright yellow platypus plush disappear into the barrel of the TYL bazooka.

 

"My platypus!" I squawked, watching as a plume of smoke consumed the space.

 

Helping Takeshi to his feet, I pulled the firearm off the toy, blinking when I saw something actually there.

 

"Damn, Yamaguchi-san, you actually kept the thing for ten full years." Gokudera whistled, pausing his abuse to the cow's afro.

 

Humming in response, I picked up the dulled and worn plush, noticing how the plastic doll eyes had been exchanged for scratched buttons. The thing looked like it had seen better days, the sunny shade turned to a greenish-yellow mixture with patches of random cloths to fill tears and holes. A rough texture made me flip the toy to the back, the stitching that followed the seam. 

 

I sat back on the couch, barely aware of the others coming to crowd around me to also view the little time traveller.

 

Absentmindedly, I traced my finger along very familiar characters, letting it trail down to glance over the ones that were listed beneath.

 

"Hibari Kyoya, Yamaguchi Daiki, Rokudo Mokuro, Sasagawa Ryohei, Yamamoto Takeshi, Gokudera Hayato, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Dokuro Chrome, Lambo Bovino." The young Rain read, following after my pointer.

 

"That's us!" Tsuna gasped, pressing his face closer to the article.

 

"But, who's Rokudo Mukuro and Dokuro Chrome?" Gokudera asked, leaning over my shoulder to read the purple threads better.

 

Why...Why were their names stitched into my doll?

 

"Ah! That's my needlework!" Kyoko chirped, reaching around me to point at her little insignia beneath the dark yellow 'Sasagawa' stitch.

 

"Haru-chan knows those buttons!" Haru exclaimed, pressing her fingers against the buttons, following the faint floral design etched into them. "That's from my favourite dress!"

 

"I-pin-chan sees patch on arm! That patch part of I-pin-chan's baby blanket." The child chirped, pressing her little hands against the embroidered square that dominated the once brown flap tail.

 

Then...

 

I glanced over my shoulder to cast my gaze over the group.

 

They've all had a hand in keeping this alive?

 

I couldn't help the small smile that came to my face, blasted human nature forcing me to show outward expression to the warmth in my gut. Fingers digging into worn fibres as I shoved my grin into the musky plush, Ryohei's laughter making a heat hit my cheeks.

 

"Shut up, sunshine." I grumbled, shifting as Takeshi threw his arms around me and my doll as best as he could.

 

"That means we all stay connected in the future!" Tsuna yelped, a blissful grin coming to his face. 

 

"Yeah, I guess we do." Came my response, the two of us sharing a smile.

 

Shamal took that moment to stroll up to the mass, giving the busted old doll a once-over before a lazy grin came to his face.

 

"Man, you must really like this thing if you kept it for so long." 

 

"Ah, that's great! Tou-san said it was a good idea too!" Takeshi laughed, reaching out to play with the drooping bill.

 

I blinked as a cold wet slid across my hand, making me recoil, before I began searching for it again in curiosity. A moment later, I found a slightly damp patch that seemed to be the origin, the concentration of the smell letting me know what it was.

 

"Someone spilt alcohol on my platypus." I stated, wondering what kind it was.

 

"Huh, alcohol?" Tsuna asked, drawing closer to the dark space.

 

"You should be celebrating your 26th birthday in the future. You might be drinking." Reborn theorised, swallowing a mouthful of pecan bread.

 

"Hm...maybe." I responded, grabbing a napkin and dabbing at the stain.

 

It was a clear stain, so the alcohol wasn't pigmented, so not something like red wine.

 

"I think it's vodka." I commented, placing down the spent tissue.

 

"Why is that?" The baby asked, actually pausing his snack.

 

"It's clear and little to no smell, I think the Americans used to advertise it as a sneaky way to get tipsy back in the day." 

 

"Why do you know this?" Gokudera asked, standing beside the Vongola.

 

"Daiki-kun knows a bunch of stuff!" Ryohei laughed, slamming his hand down on my shoulder.

 

A sudden heat emanated from the doll, making me instinctively let go and toss it slightly. Sighing in relief, I watched as it went up in smoke, the plume disappearing as its brightly coloured original hit the ground with a hollow thud.

 

The five minutes must have passed.

 

Snatching up the large doll, my jaw dropped when I saw dark, scribbles staining the material, matured yet clumsy handwriting creating messages from my future and the people in it.

 

"Gokudera-san has a shrine of Sawada-san."

 

"What the hell!? I do not!" The bomber screamed, spitting out his drink as I read out the sentence.

 

"U-uh...Gokudera-kun...?"

 

"No! Tenth! I don't, I swear!"

 

"Ooh! I get to read this one!" Ryohei laughed, snatching up the plush.

 

"List of EXTREME drunks! Tsuna-san is a serious drunk! Takeshi-san is a sleepy drunk! Gokudera-san is an emotional drunk!" 

 

He paused to jump out of the way of the attacking hurricane.

 

"Hibari-san is a flasher drunk! Ryohei-kun is an EXTREMELY HAPPY drunk! Daiki-kun is a flirty drunk!" 

 

"Hush!" I snapped, leaping off the couch and flooring the flailing Sun.

 

"We shall leave that for whatever batty future is waiting for us. Not now, my friend." 

 

“Talking about ‘batty’, one of these says: _ ‘I’m batman’. _ ”

 

“Whoever wrote that, can go to hell.” I responded, scowling as the Sun gave booming laughter.

 

I pried the doll from the shorter boy's hands and gave the doll a once over, rolling my eyes at the sheer amount of vodka and other liquids soaking the plush, checking the tag to find that, yes, it was machine washable. 

 

Thank God.

 

"Oh hey, Ryohei-kun, I didn't know you knew how to pole dance." I hummed, noticing the scrawled just above.

 

"Huh-HAHAHAHAHA!" Gokudera gasped, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

 

"Imagine the turf-top working the pole! Haha!"

 

"No, thank you." I responded, closing my eyes as I tried to burn the image from my mind.

 

I looked at it for a moment, before shaking my head, a small smile on my face.

 

"I'm gonna throw this in the wash, hopefully, this stuff'll come out after a bit." 

 

The round of nods that came back let me flee to the laundry, the large plush just barely crumbling in on itself enough to fit.

 

As I padded back into the room, I gave the chaotic scene a smile, finding a certain joy in the way they seemed to liven up the usually vacant room in a way it hadn't for a long time.

 

"Hey, shujin-kun! Come blow out the candles!" 

 

Following the order, I suffered through a terribly choppy 'Happy Birthday' that the young Rain apparently put through Google Translate, before letting out a wall of air that knocked out the flickering flames.

 

"What did you wish for?" The Rain asked, all but bouncing.

 

"That the ink comes out of the plush." I responded easily, cracking a smile when he puffed his cheeks.

 

"Daiki-kun!" He whined, crossing his arms.

 

"Guess you'll just have to wait and find out." I shrugged, before walking off with my piece of cake.

 

_ I wish that they remain safe. _

 

 


End file.
